Like the Wings of an Angel
by Hanachana
Summary: How are you supposed to tell someone you just met what will become? - REWRITE of Pearly white and pitch black. Contains all of main cast.
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

_Pairings: UrushiharaxOC (main), AshiyaxRika, MaouxEmi/Chiho, KisakixSarue (uncertain). Please don't mind the pairings._

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything borrowed from Hataraku Maō-sama!/The Devil Is a Part-Timer!, only the characters I've created!**

 **Warnings: Language, slight violence (in later chapters).**

* * *

 **Hataraku Maou-sama!:**

 **Like the Wings of an Angel**

Chapter 1 – Prologue

Their destinies were intertwined once more at the moment their hands touched together. The sudden event caused surprise and confusion that made their eyes meet only for that short moment.

How are you supposed to tell someone you just met what will become?

Every story needs a beginning and an end, but it wasn't sure which one this was – if it was either. They were sure that this was the moment that their fates were to come together, but neither of them knew to expect it. Neither of them knew how to trust others and only one of them knew how to live your own story. Maybe, just maybe, at the end of their story, they would both understand...

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She sighed in relief as the bell finally rang, signaling the beginning of her freedom – though it would end as quickly as it had started. She had only an hour to spend before work and she needed to eat.

Hana Wakahisa placed her slippers inside the locker she had been determined by the school and took out the grey and purple sneakers she'd slip into. The school day was finally over and the senior would be able to have a fast dinner before going to work. She sighed while putting on her shoes and heading out with her eyes glued to the flashing screen of her phone.

She headed out of the school and toward the place she often hang around – Hatagaya MgRonald's.

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 **This is just a short introduction to the story for you to see if you're interested. The actual chapters will be longer.**

 **As you might've noticed, this is a rewrite of "Pearly white and pitch black." It's going to be very different from the original and also show off how I've improved from that story - read and judge for youselves. Hope you enjoy reading this and please review.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Rebellious Teenagers

Chapter 2 – Rebellious Teenagers

The afternoon sun was shining and heating up the skin of students leaving from their school buildings. Among the students under that sun was one with long white hair and a black school bag over her shoulder. She looked like any of the other students except for her unusual hair and eye color.

Students leaving the school were all heading for their homes, the school dormitories or off to their afternoon jobs. This girl, Hana Wakahisa, was the latter. Well, technically she was heading out to the local MgRonald's, which wasn't her working place but a place she often ate before work at. That was the purpose she was heading over there now as well.

While walking the way to the fast food restaurant Hana wore a blank expression that suited her other-wordly appearance. Long white curls that touched her hips and amethyst eyes glowing in the natural light of day. They were traits that were often mistaken for results of hair dye or contact lences, thought the truth was very different from that supposition.

It didn't take the girl long to reach her destination and she casually entered the restaurant, looking very indifferent. She paid no mind to the people sitting at the tables around the place and stepped into the line that had formed in front of the counters during this time of the day. She was used to it, though she wished it would move more swiftly since she needed to go to work soon.

Finally the line moved enough for it to be her turn to give her order. With a silent sigh that had surfaced with the thought of " _finally_ " she dressed herself into the formal smile she wore when talking to strangers.

"Welcome to MgRonald's! May I have your order?" a young man behind the counter questioned in a cheery manner. His eyes had an odd tinge of red in them, Hana noted before proceeding to order.

"One Big Mag Burger and a medium sized coke, please," she said and gently swung her bag off her shoulder in order to look for her money.

"Would you like our Special Black Pepper Fries with that?" the male employee questioned in order to market off their other products. Hana was quite used to getting products offerred to her in different locations of Tokyo, so it came to her naturally to decline the offer.

"No, thank you... Maybe another time," she said in a vague manner before searching her wallet for the proper amount of money. The employee told her the price of the products, though Hana seemed to trust more on the small screen spelling out the amount. She handed out the money before putting away her wallet, saying she didn't need the receipt.

"We are currently out of the Big Mag Burgers, so would you please find a seat while some more are made?" the employee asked with an apologetic expression. It figured they were out of one of the most popular products after the line had cleared out.

"Yes, of course," Hana replied with a smile on her lips. She waited for the male to give her her coke on a tray and left the line in order to find herself a table that hadn't been yet occupied. The sounds of employees talking to other customers and the customers interacting together were her backround noise.

It was lucky that when she was looking for a table, one of them just happened to clear out and give her a corner spot in the restaurant. It made her feel glad that it was a spot where it was easy to observe the outside world from. She found it interesting to study other people from such a close distance without actually having to listen to them.

She conquered the table by setting down her tray, looking carefully for any dirty spots that the previous customers had left. There was little possibility for that, since the ones that left the table seemed to be an adult couple. If it were a family with smaller children, for example, would the mess be almost inevitable.

As soon as she sat down Hana reached into her bag in order to grab some of her school books. She often started her homework while eating, no matter how much it pained her. She simply had very little time for school work after getting out of her workplace, since she was usually very tired in the evenings.

The student didn't have to wait for long before her order was brought by the red-eyed male employee she had previously spoken to.

"One Big Mag Burger, isn't that right?" the employee confirmed just before handing out the burger.

"Yes, thank you very much," Hana replied as the smile she wore earlier was quickly returned to her features. She couldn't help but feel like the male was looking at her for a moment too long after her reply. It also seemed like the employee immediately caught onto her uncomfortableness.

"Excuse me for staring – I just thought it was unusual to see a student with an appearance like yours. I didn't mean to make you feel any discomfort," he spoke apologetically and bowed to the girl in slight shame. That made heat rise to the girl's cheeks.

"Oh no, it's quite alright... I wasn't bothered," she said after seeing the employee act in such a way. "Is it really such an unusual sight..." she said, though not indicating it as a question, as it could be taken.

"I will have to return to work now. We thank you for choosing MgRonald's," the male said before leaving Hana alone with her meal.

The smile soon faded from the white-haired girl's face. Though she did not in any way express it to the employee, she rather hated formal conversations like the previous one. It also made her feel very flustered when the man felt so bad about such a small mistake, since she didn't pay such great attention to her job or school work at all.

* * *

"Ne, Kisaki-san?" Maou questioned his senior that accompanied him on the counters of MgRonald's when the line leading to them had finally cleared. Since it was work time, he made as little contact with the beautiful black haired woman next to him as he could.

"What is it, Ma-kun?" the boss of said male employee replied when her name was called. She also avoided getting too relaxed during working hours.

"I'm sorry if this feels like a strange question, but – the school girl sitting in the corner table, is, is she a regular?" Maou asked, the topic surprising the manager of the store.

Though Maou spent a lot of his time at MgRonald's, he hadn't noticed that particular girl before. There was a chance he'd only missed her, though. A lot of customers poured in every day and even if Maou had been at the register one of the times she had visited, there was a good chance he had been too busy to note her existence.

Kisaki took a quick, unnoticable glance at the white-haired girl before bouncing her attention back to her employee.

"I'm quite sure that she has been here many times before – that appearance of hers makes her easy to remember," Kisaki said. "Is she by any chance someone you know, Ma-kun? You seemed to be chatting with her earlier," she added. Maou noted her curiosity in the matter.

"Ah, not really... I'm most likely mistaken," Maou replied vaguely as he waved off the subject. Kisaki simply nodded without anymore questions, especially since another wave of customers started to pour into the shop.

"Welcome to MgRonald's!" the employee and boss exclaimed in unison.

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"Wakahisa-san!" Hana's superior suddenly exclaimed at her while she was organizing some misplaced products. She placed the clothing she was holding onto the metal rack she was pulling through the store with her and then left it to go and see why she was called.

"Yes?" she questioned, looking up and down the worn out woman that had paged her.

"A new batch of products just came in and I need help moving and unpacking it. You can just call it quits on the organizing for now," the redhead explained as she waved a tattooed arm at her. "I will be waiting for you at the back," she continued in a tired manner.

"Alright, I will be there in a moment," Hana replied. She still needed to put away the clothing rack from the way of the customers before she could do anything else.

"Man, like this day hasn't been hard enough already..." the woman chuckled before heading out of the store through the back door, chatting more casually at her kouhai now.

The store Hana worked at was one of the smaller clothing stores taking place in Rokugo dori, that was a shopping street in the Hatagaya area in Japan. The store mainly focused on more edgy western styled clothing worn by teenagers and young adults, and so the more abnormal appearance of Hana and her superior was more socially acceptable.

Though being an edgier store than most on the street, it still pulled in quite the crowd of people. Every day in the store was a busy and a tiring one – a very bad option for Hana, who would've rathered a more relaxing environment. It happened to be one of the only stores that would accept a part-time employee of her looks however, so she had to make due in order to earn money.

Hana tried to hide her yawning in front of customers and then slightly pulled down the oppressive collar of her black uniform t-shirt. The uniform for her workplace consisted of said black t-shirt that had the store logo written on it in dark red kanji. While the t-shirt was very loose, the pants were tight-fitting black jeans that could only be properly worn by a person of a more slim body structure, like Hana.

Hana was slim and also very short. Among Japanese people that was not such an unusual thing, but one could argue that she was on the shorter side even for a person of Japanese origin. Though her body was otherwise very small and appeared weak to an outsider, her chest wasn't completely flat, like one would expect. She often heard complaints from both small and large chested women, but in her case she felt like she had been blessed by the perfect medium.

Her white, curly hair had been tied on a thick pony tail that had loosened during the time she had been at work. In less than an hour she would get off, and that was the only thing that made her have the will to continue working properly. She let out another suppressed yawn before catching up to her superior waiting for her outside.

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It was finally the time that Hana got out of work and she was currently in the back room of her working place, changing clothes. She put on the school uniform she had been wearing when she entered the shop, sighing in relief. She just wanted to go home and collapse on her bed, though she knew that she still needed to run by the store. The fridge inside her dorm room was completely empty.

Hana placed her working clothes inside her locker and closed it. She threw her bag over her shoulder before walking out of the store with a tired expression and posture.

* * *

It was already evening time when Hana was walking through the Hatagaya area in order to reach the store in the way back to her school. There were only few people on the streets, many of them people getting out of work, like her. It felt very unsettling to her to go through the streets at such a late time, but she had no other choice since she didn't own a bicycle.

Luckily it didn't take long for the girl to reach the store and she entered it without hesitation – actually even rushing off the street. Her tired brain had started making up scary situations at a vivid pace and she didn't like it. She strolled through the store and dodged some of the people before reaching a peaceful spot between the shelves.

She stopped and searched for her wallet in order to check how much cash she had.

Only, she couldn't find the wallet.

 _Is it really not here? I had it just earlier today, s_ he thought in frustration. _Damn it, I must've left it at the locker room...!_ she mentally exclaimed as she stopped searching for the item. She sighed and slightly leaned against the shelf, as inappropriate as it was. She felt very defeated by the rough day at work and was out of energy for occurances like these.

After a short mental debate she found no other choice but to go home and sleep. She simply couldn't first pick up her wallet and then return to the store – her legs would've surely given in before that. She had no choice but to starve herself until the next day.

She shifted her weight off the shelf and sighed in defeat as she took a step toward the entrance. Then, to her surprise, she found herself running into something hard. She knew that wasn't supposed to be there, so she squeaked in surprise and backed away from the thing she had hit with her cheeks bright red.

The tall man whose back Hana had run into turned around in surprise at seeing the girl. He was holding a shopping basket on his right arm, like any other customer would.

"I am sorry for not noticing your precense," the tall man said in an apologetic voice and gave the girl a slight bow. Her blushing increased because of such a gesture.

"N-no, it was my fault...! I was tired and wasn't looking where I was going," Hana retorted as she found herself bowing as well. That made the male let out a small chuckle.

"It is alright, I understand," he replied in a gentle manner. That helped calm down the girl's heartbeat for now.

Well, until she felt the tall man take a similar pause to stare at her like the MgRonald's employee had. Hana flinched in surprise and looked down on her figure – what was it that caught everyone's attention during that day?

"I-is there a stain on my clothing or something? Haha..." Hana tried to play off the awkwardness as a joke of sort.

"Wah, was I staring? Excuse me," the tall man apologised as soon as she said that. "I don't know why I did such a rude thing." At that point Hana couldn't help but get a sort of deja-vuish feeling.

"Ma... I need to get back to what I was doing..." she said in a small voice, most obviously to get out of the awkward conversation.

"Of course, please excuse me for troubling you," the male said before bowing and leaving the isle in order to do more shopping.

Hana yawned and shook her head in disappointment in herself. Such carelesness would naturally lead to awkward situations like the one she just experienced. She was just about to leave the store and head home when something peculiar caught her eye.

The girl blinked her amethyst eyes as she had gently hit her toes against a small item laying on the floor. It was a wallet – though not hers. This was a more simple one, one that would most likely be carried by a man. A man like the one she had just bumped into.

Her first reaction was to crouch in order to pick up the wallet and study it for a moment. A few thoughts were processed in her brain. If this truly was the wallet of the man she had just spoken to, she would have to give it back. If it were to disappear, the cameras would surely pick it up...

But... Wait... Hana looked around for cameras, knowing from previous experience where most of them had been placed. She blinked a few times, as if she didn't believe it. She was standing in one of the only blind spots from the cameras in the whole store.

That realization opened up a whole new world of possibilities for the exhausted school girl. She looked at the cameras one more time before fixating her eyes on the wallet. If she truly were immoral enough to take the wallet, this would be the time to do it. Though... She had taken a quick look, and the basket of the man seemed to be filled with either cheap or cut-prized products. He seemed like the kind of person who, like Hana, was in a bad financial situation.

It couldn't hurt to take look, could it...?

Hana carefully opened the wallet, making sure none of the other customers were nearby. She turned the wallet in her hands, immediately going for the pocket where bills were stored. As she had quessed, there was very little money inside.

However, she was a poor student who was working only part-time in order to scrape some food on the table. Her need to spend on useless things didn't help her case at all and it was very hard for her to manage. Japan was simply too interesting of a place for her. The man she had spoken to seemed like a young adult, so it was more likely that he was able to support himself.

After considering all the possibilities, she arrived to a simple conclusion. It wouldn't hurt too much if she simply borrowed enough for her to eat something that day. She bit her lip, hoping she wouldn't get caught over it. She picked one of the 500 yen* bills before quickly closing the wallet and hiding the money inside her bag.

Hana calmed her heartbeat with a single deep breath, as she usually did, and returned to her normal uninterested mood. She assumed that the man wouldn't notice the disappearance of such a small sum.

"Excuse me, sir!" she exclaimed as she twirled completely around in order to chase after the tall male.

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The door of an apartment in the second floor of an old apartment complex, Villa Rosa Sasazuka, was opened in an angry manner as one of its inhabitants returned home. His movements were more aggressive than usual, as something seemed to be bothering the former Demon General Alciel – now called Ashiya.

He passive-agressively placed two bags on the low table placed in the middle of the worn down room, causing the other inhabitant present – the Fallen Angel Lucifer, or Urushihara – to flinch in surprise and actually take his eyes off the computer screen he very much enjoyed looking at. He then proceeded to study the actions of Ashiya, who was agressively placing the products he had purchased into the fridge.

"Has Demon Lord-sama not returned home yet?" Ashiya asked, ending the silence that had been reigning over the room before his reappearance.

"You have two working eyes, Ashiya – you can see that he's not here," Urushihara retorted in a sarcastic manner before finally turning back to his computer.

"Don't you give me your witty comments, Urushihara! Not after the terrible experience I've had during this shopping trip," Ashiya complained, interrupting what he was doing just in order to scold the freeloader of the household.

"What, did you get mugged?" Urushihara snorted, unknowingly hitting the nail on the head.

"How did you- Yes, yes I did! And the fact that I know who did it makes it even worse!" Ashiya said before continuing the task he had interrupted after Urushihara's first comment.

"Seriously...?" Urushihara asked in a disbelieving, uncaring tone. "It's kind of pathetic, a Demon General of Maou's getting mugged like that..." Urushihara said in no more than a mumble. Ashiya seemed to have caught on the mutter and was starting to get angrier again.

"You, who are nothing but a bum in this world, shouldn't say things like that," Ashiya spat as he finished putting away the groceries and immediately closed the fridge in order to save power.

"Is that so... Luckily I don't have the need to communicate with housewives such as yourself..." Urushihara muttered, hoping that this time Ashiya wouldn't pay any mind to him – even useless bums like himself needed to have some peace. One could argue that he just didn't know how to keep his mouth shut.

This time his mumbles went mostly unnoticed or maybe _uncared_ about by Ashiya, leaving the household in passive silence. Ashiya soon moved to the task of starting to cook supper, not that it really mattered to Urushihara at the moment. He was already sucked in by the world behind his computer screen, closing out everything that tied him to reality.

He scrolled through pages on his web browser, already having forgotten about doing actual research and getting distracted by something minor and unimportant. This usually happened even when he was actually trying to be useful, though those times were rare.

Right now his attention had been grabbed by a website that consisted of multiple horror stories that the humans had made up. By coincidence, that actually could have something to do what he was supposed to be researching for – ways to turn negative energy into demon magic without causing chaos. That made his interest toward the page grow even more.

He scrolled through some of the stories with an amused smirk plastered on his face. He found it quite amusing what kinds of stories the humans of this world, who didn't know of actual supernatural things, had come up with. It was also very interesting how some of their legends actually overlapped with the history of the supernatural world they were from, Ente Isla. That implied that there had to be a connection between-

"AHHH!" a scream from the kitchen interrupted Urushihara's train of thought as he snapped his head toward Ashiya, who had produced the sudden loud noise.

"...Are you okay?" Urushihara asked in surprise of Ashiya's unusual way of acting.

"I'm fine, I'm fine... I just cut my finger..." Ashiya half-muttered as he put the wound he inflicted upon himself under the cold tap water. "Damn it..." Normally it would've been odd for Ashiya to be so careless that something like this would happen, but being in such a bad mood miscalculations weren't such a long shot.

"I hope you can see in how many ways this is pathetic so I don't need to point it out to you," Urushihara said, all the surprise wearing out and getting replaced by his usual sarcastic attitude.

"You keep quiet," Ashiya hissed as he turned off the tap and went into the bathroom in order to find a band-aid from the medicine cabinet. Urushihara shrugged, denying any bit of worry he had felt toward the other demon. Then he went back to his internet surfing.

Only, when he turned back toward his laptop screen, something had popped up on it. Dark colors presented themselves in front of the NEET, advertising some game that he had never heard of. Pop-up ads like these were something he was quite used to, but he usually avoided looking at them. Adverts for games like this one often caused him to feel anxious, since his computer was too old to properly run any of them.

This one however caught his attention. He was actually just about to click it away so he could continue looking at the page he was previously reading, but something poked at his eye among the text and digitally drawn characters. He blinked a few times, as if he didn't believe his own eyes.

In the text it clearly said that his game had been published more than a few years ago. This sparked his interest and he couldn't help but to think about it. If it were an old game like this that still had an active gaming community, it must've been good, but not only that – there was a possibility that even his old wreck of a laptop could run it.

For a moment Urushihara felt unsure of if he should search more information on it, just avoid to disappointment, but the temptation was too great. He typed the name of the game into the search bar and looked at the results that popped up. He selected a page where people playing the game had been answering questions about it and looked for a comment about the specs of the game.

And, sooner rather than later, he did find that comment. He almost couldn't believe his eyes when he realized that with specs as low as the game had, the laptop he used should've been able to run it. Usually when it came to quality games like that one, they took a much more advanced computer so the gameplay would be possible. This one was the only proper one he had run into that actually had the possibility of being played by his laptop.

Urushihara stared at the comment with wide eyes before searching for more information. He looked for places that sold it and ways to get it delivered. Right now, he couldn't care less about if Maou or Ashiya would scold him for spending. Besides his PASTA-console, he hadn't been able to play anything in such a long time. This was definitely a one time type of chance.

After searching for places that sold the game for nearly ten minutes, Urushihara let out a disappointed sigh. It seemed like it was a type of game that was only sold in smaller stores anymore, the ones that didn't have the money or assets to make delivering products a thing. He leaned his chin against his hand in thought.

 _I suppose I could search for which stores actually sell it... Not that Maou or Ashiya would agree to pick it up for me,_ he thought, searching for more information once again. He found a list of the stores that still sold the old game and looked through them with a nonchalant expression. They all seemed to be stores far away that he'd never even heard of.

All except for one. Urushihara blinked in surprise again when he noticed that one of the stores was not only in Tokyo, but actually in Hatagaya. He'd never known of such a gaming store residing so close to Villa Rosa, even if he had robbed multiple stores around the area when he first came to Japan. If he would've known of such a place, would it definitely have been on top of his list of places to rob.

Not only that, but it looked like the store was having a sale in order to empty their shelves of older games in order to replace them with newer content, that ended...

 _The next day._

Urushihara took a quick glance toward the back of his comrade, who had at some point returned from the bathroom and went back to his cooking. Multiple thoughts ran through his head. Should he ask, no, _beg_ for the other demons to go to the store for him, or...

 _Should I...?_ Under normal circumstances such a thought wouldn't even dare to cross through his mind, but if this was the only chance for him to grab the game he wanted... He wasn't sure if he had any other choice.

Urushihara's thoughts were once again interrupted by an unexpected sound. This time it was the door opening and a familiar face popping up inside the apartment.

"I'm home," the Demon King, also known as Sadao Maou greeted as he returned home from his job at MgRonald's. Ashiya was immediately there to greet his respected master.

"Welcome back, Maou-sama," he said as he bowed down to the shorter male. "How was your day?" he added, politely inquiring his lord on his mood.

As the two other demons exchanged greetings, Urushihara was once again swallowed by his thoughts concerning the game he was so interested in. He slowely pushed down the lid of the laptop, only to the confusion of the Demon King and his general.

 _Tomorrow it is._

* * *

 ** _*500 yen =_** _ **3.77 euros or 4.20 US dollars.**_

 **I need two names... One for the game Urushihara wants to buy and one for the store Hana works at. I can come up with the names by myself, but if you want to suggest something, please do.**

 **Please review. ^^**


	3. Chapter 3 - Guilt or Greed?

Chapter 3 – Guilt or Greed?

Urushihara was secretly alerted by the subtle noise Ashiya made while grabbing his keys from one of the kitchen drawers. He made no effort to properly react to this action, since it would've arose suspicion in Ashiya, but he did stop scrolling down a page on his web browser for a moment.

It seemed to take forever for Ashiya to walk over to the door and put on his shoes. Urushihara was nearly biting his tongue when he finally heard the taller demon grab the door handle and open the door.

"Urushihara, I'm going to say this one more time, so don't blame me if you don't know where I went afterwards," Ashiya began in a tired manner. "I am going to the library and I will be back in a few hours or so." Urushihara took a silent breath, thinking about how he would normally respond.

"Is that so..." he said in an uninterested tone without taking his eyes off the computer screen.

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," Ashiya threatened. He didn't get a response even after waiting for a moment. He sighed in frustration before stepping out of the doorway and leaving the apartment. Urushihara snapped his head toward the sound of the closing door.

Ashiya was finally gone, but Urushihara would have to wait for a few more minutes for him to get out of his field of view. He checked the security camera that he had installed on the window, that was actually just a normal web camera pointing toward the street, and looked at the image that had by any standards _horrible_ resolution. When he saw Ashiya had walked far enough, he closed the lid of the laptop without hesitation.

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The classes were over earlier than usual for Hana Wakahisa. One of her teachers had gotten sick and assigned the class extra work to do at home, which of course didn't make Hana very happy. What did make her happy was the fact that she had some more free time before having to go to work. During this time she had already went back to her dormitory and changed out of her school uniform and abandoned the most heavy and useless of her school books.

She would most likely take the usual course of action and go to MgRonald's to do her homework, but since she had some rare free time for once, she decided to go out for a bit. It had been some time since she last did any window shopping, as bad a habit as it was.

Instead of her school or work uniform Hana had dressed herself into a green and white t-shirt that ended at her hips and had a high v-neck. She was also wearing a skirt that had a waist low enough to leave a tasteful amount of skin showing. With that combination she didn't dare to use her sneakers, but rather a pair of black, ornamental sandals. She also had her black leather bag on her shoulder and since she had to work later, her hair was tied up on a pony tail. Many would question her choice in shirts, especially since it didn't match with her eye color at all.

During this current time Hana was going through Hatagaya area and had actually found herself being attracted to Rokugo dori and the stores near her workplace. The different stores that she rarely had time to explore were all calling to her at once and she didn't know where to start. After a short debate with herself under the hot sun, she decided to visit one of the stores she was already familiar with – at least she knew there was an air conditioner for sure.

* * *

After going through several stores and gaining a few plastic bags on her arm, Hana was already starting to feel regret. She knew she had to save money since her school would end soon and she would be kicked out of the dormitory. However, whenever she saw something she really liked, she couldn't stop herself.

Currently the girl was sitting down on a bench outside one of the stores, going through the things she'd bought. Luckily she didn't get too many clothes, that were usually among the most expensive things she bought, but it was still more than she could afford. She sighed in disappointment at herself as she moved all her things into one plastic bag that was easier to carry around.

Hana checked her phone with an indifferent expression and noted that she still had a lot of time before work. She had always been a quick shopper, since picking and choosing between clothes really tried her patience. She put away her phone and looked around, seeing if there were still some places she could visit. Maybe a store so expensive she wouldn't dare to spend a yen...

Then again, she might accidentally buy something expensive and regret it immediately. She felt uncomfortable returning products, since too much contact with store employees caused anxiety within her. She stood up from the bench and decided to settle for a meal at MgRonald's – maybe she'd get all of her homework done at once.

She was already heading for the fast food restaurant when something peculiar caught her eye.

It was a video game store. It was surprising at first to see it, but after a while of thinking Hana realized she had actually taken a look at it a few times when going to work. It alerted her attention properly now because of the flashy signs indicating a sale on the store window. A gaming store wasn't the kind she often visited, but she did own a laptop and even a few games she used to play on the holidays. She probably would've spent more time with that if it weren't for her other responsibilities.

Hana bit her lower lip in thought. She was starting to feel bored of the games she currently owned, but she had already wasted a lot of money that day – maybe she should just ignore the store. She took a deep breath and was going to step away, when she noticed something else. The date on the sale signs, it said that any unsold products would be thrown away at the end of that day.

The white-haired girl had completely stopped in her tracks for now and stared at the window in thought. There were a lot of people inside, so it was likely that all the games she would want to play were already gone... Maybe she wouldn't end up spending at all.

Hana shook her head and turned away from the store – no, she couldn't take the risk. She needed to _save money_. She took a deep breath before starting to walk away... And she would've continued walking away if it weren't for something else.

 _Oh crap,_ was the first thought that registered to Hana. At first she couldn't believe her eyes. She knew that he must've been a local, since he seemed familiar with the store he was visiting, but she somehow didn't guess that she'd run into him again. It must've been the sort of thing where she never paid attention to him until she actually had something to do with him. The girl blinked in horror and started looking through the crowd in panic – the tall man hadn't noticed her yet.

She wasn't sure if he had noticed her little crime or not, but the chances of getting caught were still causing stress for Hana. She blinked her amethyst eyes multiple times in panic while looking around for a quick exit. She knew it was only 500 yen, but you never knew what was too much for a poor person. As the door of the gaming store was nearest to her, Hana quickly backed away from the crowd and slipped inside. Hopefully the man wasn't into video games.

The extra-ordinary looking girl slipped in between the shelves in a way that she could still observe the street from her hiding spot. Her heartbeat was racing as she softly leaned her hands against the shelf for support – she almost started shaking. Luckily she didn't have to wait for long in suspence as the man passed the store without even taking a look toward it. Hana let out a relieved sigh as she stepped away from the window.

After calming herself for a bit Hana allowed herself to observe her surroundings. It was a small store and the neutral colored walls were filled with different gaming posters. The air was cool because of an effective air conditioner, unlike the one at her dormitory room that was continuosly getting fixed. Many of the shelves had been picked half-empty of cheap games.

 _As long as I'm here..._ Hana though in defeat as she started looking through the different titles. There were only few shooting games left, since those were very popular at the current time. She wasn't too interested in them, since they rarely had a proper story or plot. However, a lot of the quality RPG:s had also been sold out and she was stuck with only few options.

Hana circled around the shelves, still slightly paranoid about leaving the store. She wasn't very familiar with things regarding active gaming and such, but she was slightly curious. She liked anime, manga, movies and that sort of things, so games went well along with other media, she supposed. Walking around the store made her wish she had a lot of time for hobbies.

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Urushihara stood up from his spot at the closed computer and rushed over to the only cabinet in the six tatami apartment. He looked through different boxes that had been laid inside the closet and grabbed the one that had his clothes inside. He went through the few cheap pieces and the clothes he wore when defeated by Maou, that were of better quality than the UNIXLO his roommates had bought for him. He wanted to purchase better clothes from the internet, but Ashiya would definitely deny the delivery as soon as he found out – but that was beside the point.

The former Demon General and Fallen Angel dug through the box until he caught what he had been looking for. He sighed as he pulled out the grey cap that he used whenever he went outside, as rare as it was. It was mostly when the three demons went over to the bath house. He also grabbed a pair of jeans - he rather wore those than the shorts that he wore inside, not that he _cared_ what people thought about his fashion choices.

Urushihara put back the box that's order had been completely messed up, much to Ashiya's dismay if he ever found out. He changed his pants and reluctantly put on the cap, looking at himself from the bathroom mirror. He was still worried about getting caught by the police, but the cap provided at least some cover and eased his anxiety.

He entered the kitchen and lazily approached the fridge. He looked on top of it and sighed in embarrasment as he pushed himself onto the counter next to it. This was something he would never admit he did to Ashiya just to reach the top of the fridge. That happened to be a place that the Demon King or his loyalest general probably wouldn't guess that Urushihara of all people would hide something, so he used that to his advantage. After placing himself securely on the counter he reached out on top of the white machine and grabbed the piece of plastic placed there and jumped back down.

He quickly eyed the credit card that he had previously snatched from Maou's wallet and hid on the fridge while Ashiya was in the bathroom. He had had to make and effort in order to not produce any sounds, but he supposed he succeeded without getting caught. All day long he had been waiting for this moment when both the housewife and the working husband had left their love nest, just so that the rebellious teenager could do something prohibited while they were gone.

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.

.

The human Crestia Bell, or Suzuno Kamazuki, was currently in her apartment making lunch. She was wearing one of the kimonos she usually only wore inside her house and over it an apron. Her dark hair was covered by a light scarf.

It seemed like an ordinary day for her as she looked for the correct ingredients from her fridge and thought of usual things. She had woken up early and waited for the demons to as well, listened to Maou leaving for work and now, a moment ago, Ashiya leaving to the library. Those were things they did every day, so she didn't bother to worry about if they were doing something evil.

However, a subtle thump from the apartment room next to hers caused her to completely stop what she was doing and snap her head toward the sound. She blinked a few times in confusion as she listened for continuation of the sound. Urushihara was the only one at Castle Overlord at that time, so it must've been him who caused the noise. It was surprising for Suzuno, since the short demon rarely made noise when he was by himself – and the only time he usually did was when he was ordering pizza.

The inquisitor closed the fully open fridgerator door and abandoned what she was doing in order to investigate what was happening. She stepped near her door in case she needed to quickly step into the other apartment. When she heard the door next to her apartment open and close, she blinked in surprise again. Was Urushihara really leaving the house?

Suzuno's guess was right as she also heard the door to the building slowly open and close. This really seemed suspicious to her and she left her apartment as soon as the demon was out. She rushed through the hallway and all the way to the door as quickly as she could in her traditional clothes. She opened it with a woosh and stood at the top of the stairs leading to the building. Urushihara disappeared behind a corner of the fence surrounding the building, leaving Suzuno blankly staring at it.

Urushihara didn't seem like he wanted to get caught – he was wearing the cap he only wore when going outside, after all. Suzuno guessed that if he were out to do something evil, he wouldn't care about the police. But then again, he did hide it from Maou and Ashiya. Suzuno's best guess was that he was going to do something those two wouldn't like, but there was a bunch of options. The most usual one was that he would spend money on something they disapproved of, but why did he have to leave the building for that...?

Suzuno assumed that since Urushihara left after Ashiya, he would be back before him as well. Maybe then would be the perfect time to question him. But then again, if he really were to do something evil and Suzuno wasn't there to stop it... She sighed and clenched her teeth as she quickly rushed inside her apartment to grab a change of clothes.

.

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.

"Um... Was this the right place..." Urushihara muttered to himself as he looked around the busy main street of Hatagaya. He only knew which way MgRonald's was, since he had visited it before, but other then that most of the stores looked very unfamiliar to him. He sighed as he looked at the address of the gaming store, that he had written on a small piece of paper.

"So it should be right over there..." he mumbled again in his thoughts as he studied the flashy buildings with care. It appeared he was on the wrong side of the road, so he waited for the traffic to stop before crossing over to the other side.

It was very hot outside, especially with all the people so close to each other in the daily chaos. Urushihara wasn't a fan of close contact, so he tried to keep his distance, as impossible as it was.

As soon as he had crossed the street, the Fallen Angel was met with the sight of a store window with the sign "SALE" printed all over it. He blinked in disbelief before sighing in relief for finding the right place. Soon he felt a bump on his shoulder as someone ran into him, causing him to yelp in surprise. He looked after the person with the deadliest stare he could muster, though he had no intention of chasing the guy. That occurence was the last straw that pushed him inside the store.

Urushihara entered the small space that contained a fair amount of people already. The walls were filled with posters and the shelves had been placed in a way that it made the space looked even smaller than it was. Though he didn't care as long as the air conditioning worked – only now did he notice how hot the outside had actually been. He couldn't help but feel attracted toward the machine since Villa Rosa didn't have air conditioning at all.

That aside, the burden of a NEET remembered that he still needed to get out of public as soon as possible. He sighed in frustration, looking through the signs on top of the shelves. He was determined to find the game he came to the store for. After a short search, he found the shelf where it was stored. There were two other people between those shelves, he noted from the corner of his eye. He looked downwards in order to hide his features behind the cap he was wearing and reached out for the game.

Only, his hand didn't reach the game – before that, it hit something warm. He shrieked and pulled back his hand as his eyes snapped toward the shelf. There was nothing there, so he turned to look to his side to see the other two people.

He met eyes with a girl of the same height and eye color as his. It looked like she had also pulled her hand away and her cheeks were completely red. She kept blinking and staring at him with a bag and a plastic bag hanging from her arm. Urushihara expected her to say something, but since she never did, he simply turned back to the shelf. He was sure the red had spread to his cheeks as well.

"Ah... Sorry," he said in embarrasment as he picked up a copy of the game. Then he turned away so he could-

 _Wait, did that girl have purple eyes?_ Urushihara stopped and turned back around, facing the still shy looking girl. He stopped to study the look of that female better before thinking it any farther. She had pale skin, amethyst colored eyes and white curly hair that was tied on a pony tail. She was also wearing a shirt that didn't suit her eye color at all – not that it was important in any way. He couldn't help but admit that she looked like an angel, and that wasn't even flattering. She actually did look like a second generation angel from Heaven, the place he was born in.

At some point Urushihara noticed that the girl had moved her eyes to stare at the floor with her face still red. She must've noticed that he was staring at her. Urushihara blushed. Sure, she did _look_ like an angel, but otherwise she didn't seem to show any signs of being one. Then again, could such a coincidence exist the one time he left the house?

"C-could you not stare? I don't get what it is that people look at..." the girl whined in a small voice and the Fallen Angel quickly snapped his eyes away from her. He hadn't expected such a situation and was at a loss.

"Uh... Um..." He didn't know how to communicate with the unknown girl and resorted to stuttering. It had been a while since he last was out, after all. Sounding like a creep was the last thing he needed right now. "S-sorry..."

And so the two stood there in silence for a moment, both blushing furiously and avoiding any kind of eye contact. Urushihara was the first one to snap out of it.

"I'm... Gonna go now..." he stuttered as he turned around and allowed the shameful look on his face to take over. He, the famous Fallen Angel and Demon General couldn't talk properly to a simple girl. He couldn't even think of finding out about her heritage. He was most likely wrong about this anyway. If she was an angel sent from Heaven, surely she would've acted a bit differently. Then again, _he_ was an angel and acted the exact same way. Urushihara reluctantly took a peek at the girl again. She looked like she had gone back to looking at the products, though he couldn't make out her expression.

"Excuse me, sir, you're next," said a voice next to the half-angel. He jumped at the sound as he hadn't even realized he was standing in the line to the cash register. He sighed after the surprise wore down and handed out the game he was there to buy. He should just forget about the girl, she wasn't the reason he was there for. As the price of the game was told by the employee, Urushihara searched his pockets for Maou's credit card.

That wasn't there.

The purple haired demon stopped everything he was doing or thinking as his heart skipped a beat. He searched the pockets of his jeans one more time before he allowed the panic to hit him. His face was filled with worry that the employee took note of.

"Is everything alright?" she asked in a troubled manner.

"Ma- My... Credit card. It's gone!" Urushihara exclaimed in surprise and anger. He quickly pieced together that the one who stole it must've been the guy who run into him outside, but he also knew that it was too late to retrieve it now.

"Are you saying it was stolen? You should report this to the police immediately and shut down the account," the employee informed. The word "police" made Urushihara's heart skip another beat.

"Y-yes, I will go do that right now..." he spoke incoherently and backed away from the register. Maou and especially Ashiya would skin him alive. There was absolutely nothing he could do to avoid this fate. He was practically already dead. Urushihara swallowed as he shakily exited the store.

* * *

The Demon General turned NEET had completely lost all the strenght in his legs and had slumped on a backless chair inside a store across the street from the game store. He didn't know what to think or where to even start thinking. Not that thinking would help his situation one bit. He had to admit, he was completely and utterly screwed.

Urushihara leaned forward and laid his head against his hands. He hid his face, trying to figure out the best possibilities. Maybe he could just pretend that nothing happened and make Maou think that he lost the credit card himself. Then again, if he did wait and during that time they would go into debt and the Demon King would just suppose that it was Urushihara's fault, would the consequences be even worse. He wouldn't be surprised if his roommates were pissed enough to throw him out at that point – and that meant _no internet_. There was a slight chance of survival only if he immediately told Maou what happened and begged for forgiveness. _Slight_. But that wasn't a very appealing choice for his pride.

"U-um, excuse me," a soft voice interrupted Urushihara's train of thought and he jumped in surprise. So did the person who had spoken to him. He blinked in surprise when he recognized the person as the girl he spoke to, well, _tried to speak to_ at the gaming store.

"It's... You...?" he said in confusion as he was now completely distracted by the sudden twist.

"I thought I couldn't find you on the streets anymore, but it was lucky that I saw you enter this store..." the girl spoke in riddles and stared at the floor. "Who knew you were into women's shoes?" she smirked as she eyed the surroundings. Urushihara hadn't noticed which store he stumbled into, but when he finally did, his whole face took on a new color.

"U-um, it's not like that," he protested, though he didn't know why this girl's opinion about him would matter. "W...What are you doing here anyway? I thought you thought that I was being a pervert or something," he changed the subject in a panicked manner. The girl let out a soft chuckle.

"At first I did, well, I wasn't sure... I thought I might've imagined it. Something like that happened to me earlier... U-uh, I mean, I wanted to apologize... For snapping at you," she spoke a little hastily and avoided eye contact with Urushihara. "I'm sorry," she said, bowing down. The NEET stared at her in disbelief.

"Why... I don't... _Care_ if you think I'm a creep..." he in turn stuttered and looked away to hide his expression. "Just leave me by myself... Um... Please?" he said, carefully feeling out the word he wasn't used to using.

"Ah, I-I will, I just... Wanted to give you this," the girl said as she handed out a plastic bag. Urushihara blinked as he looked at the bag. Now that he thought about it, he had only seen one of them on her arm before, so that must've been a new one. He hesitantly took it and looked inside.

"Wait, this is... The game I was going to buy?" he asked in disbelief as he looked at the girl again. A smile spread on her lips at his expression.

"Yes, well, I overheard your conversation with the casheer, so I thought... It was cheap, so..." she stumbled over the words as she played with the strap of her black bag. "I hope I don't appear too intruding..."

"N-no, I..." Urushihara eyed the game before swallowing his pride for half a second. "T-thank you... For getting this to me," he said in a shaky voice, though he couldn't even look anywhere near toward the girl. A smile spread to the girl's face again, though Urushihara had no way of seeing it.

"Can I just ask... Did you already call the police? I mean, I came in right after you... Could it be that you don't have a phone on you?" the white haired female who acted way too familiar with Urushihara to his comfort asked this. He tried to think of an answer though he was still dazzled by the stranger girl's kindness.

"I don't, but that's not the reason... I didn't exactly have permission to use that card," he said, though he didn't know why he would tell this to anyone. Especially her.

"Oh, so it's your parents' card?" she asked with a giggle. At first he was surprised by the reaction, but it soon occurred to him. She did look like a teenager, it was very well possible that this wasn't such a hard thing for her to understand. Though that made him embarrased that his thought process was exactly like a human teenager's was.

"Um, my guardian's," he corrected. He didn't want to be mistaken as Maou's relative, especially his son.

"I get it. You'll probably be in trouble once you go home," she said and took it as her liberty to sit down on a chair next to his. Urushihara avoided looking at her even more now that she was that close.

"Yeah," he simply replied as he studied the patterns of the floor with a faked interest. "Speaking of home... I really need to go back before Ma- My guardian get's off work." He stood up from the seat and stepped away from the girl. "T...Thanks anyway." Just as he was about to exit the store, the girl spoke again.

"Wait, I..." She also stood up from her chair, her cheeks tinted red. "I... Actually wanted to ask you... For your number..."

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Hana Wakahisa had strolled around the gaming store for at least fifteen minutes now. She already felt safe to exit, but her attention was captured by so many different titles she didn't know where to begin. At some point she had strolled over to the shelves carrying different RPG games with another person looking through the same games. She wanted to see the one he was holding, but backed away since that would've been too much communication.

She settled with looking at the games on the other end of the shelf and studied the people exiting and entering the store from the corner of her eye. One of them was a short teen that looked about her age, which couldn't help but arouse her curiosity. Though she quickly went back to looking through the plastic covered plastic disks that brought so many people joy. At some point she turned around in order to see the games on the shelf behind her. It didn't take very long for a flashy title to catch her interest and she reached out toward it, grabbing it and-

Before she could take the game, she felt another hand over hers. Her eyes registered it right after her hand had, and she quickly pulled it away, as did the other person. After that their eyes connected, amethyst seeing amethyst. After her heartbeat had calmed down a bit she recognized the boy as the one she'd seen enter the store a moment ago. She felt the blush coming and in a moment it did.

"Ah... Sorry," the boy said, taking one of the games and turning away from her. He was already stepping away, when he suddenly twirled back around, making Hana jump slightly. He seemed to be carefully studying her appearance, which made her break eye contact.

"C-could you not stare? I don't get what it is that people look at..." she snapped in a small voice and the boy quickly stopped looking at her. That relieved some of her worry.

"Uh... Um..." the boy stuttered awkwardly. "S-sorry..." he said. Hana didn't know how to respond after such a hostile line and an awkward silence followed. Eventually it was broken by the boy. "I'm... Gonna go now..." he stuttered before leaving the situation.

Hana moved her eyes from the floor and studied his back for a moment. He was wearing casual, loose clothes and a cap on his head. His hair was purple and a bit long and his eyes were the same color as hers. She was fairly sure she had also seen him wear small earrings. She put aside the matter and turned back to studying the games. Though... There was something weird about that boy she couldn't quite grasp.

Soon she heard him exclaim that his credit card was gone. Maybe it was a shriek of guilt for stealing, maybe it was because of the odd air around that person – however, Hana could not stop herself. As soon as the boy had left the store, she marched over to the casheer with determined eyes.

 _I want to talk to him._

* * *

 **Please be a doll and review? ;***


	4. Chapter 4 - Nothing But a Number

Chapter 4 – Nothing But a Number

Urushihara slumped all the way back to Villa Rosa Sasazuka and then stopped under the infamous staircase, staring up at the door. He sighed before climbing all the way up, his doom getting closer every single step. Maou and Ashiya should not be back yet, but he could already tell that they would be pissed the moment they found out about his _small_ error in judgement.

"Ahh~~ I am screwed," he muttered to himself as he entered their apartment and took his usual spot in front of the closed laptop. He didn't know what to do at this point, so he just opened the lid and looked for comfort from his virtual reality.

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Maou was finally done with his work for the day. He sighed as he eyed the clock on the wall of the employee room, taking of his red MgRonald's cap. It was five o'clock, and dinner time was near. He could already smell the cookings of Ashiya, who restlessly worked in order to feed his master and the lazy Fallen Angel that lived with them.

As Maou removed his shirt, he took a look at the pictures on the inside of his locker door. They were all of his adopted daughter, Alas=Ramus, who was a fragment of Yesod, a fruit of the Tree of Life. After the archangel Gabriel had tried to bring the girl back to Heaven, where she supposedly belonged, Maou had gotten very attached to pictures of her.

Among those photos was one where Alas=Ramus, Maou and Emi were together at an amusement park. Maou took it indifferently from the door in order to look at it, sighing as he quickly replaced it and changed out of his uniform.

 _She can be such a pain sometimes._

* * *

Maou very soon reached Castle Overlord, hopping off his bike when he got to the yard. He parked it outside the old building and headed for the staircase. Just before he could reach it, he was stopped by a yell.

"W-wait, I didn't do it on purpose...!"

It sounded like Urushihara, Maou noted as he continued his walk up the stairs. It wasn't out of the ordinary to hear Ashiya yelling at him during any time, so he brushed it off as an everyday occurance.

"I'm home!" Maou greeted as he opened the door number 201 wide open, casually witnessing the situation where Urushihara had been backed out into a corner and was surrounded by a number of angry faces. "What did he do this time?" he questioned in a tiresome tone and entered all the way inside the apartment.

"Maou-sama, I would've welcomed you appropriately, but this time that hermit has gone too far!" Ashiya exclaimed to his master in visible rage. Maou blinked in surprise. It was unusual for Ashiya to get this worked up over something Urushihara did, even if it wasn't anything out of the ordinary for the two to quarrel.

"Even if I am in no way on your side, _Demon King_ , I do agree with Ashiya on this. Lucifer is nothing but trouble for you, you should get rid of him," spoke a tall and thin woman with long, fuchsia hair. That was of course the famous Hero of Ente Isla, half-angel Emilia Justina – though currently known as Emi Yusa, a citizen of Japan. She wore a disappointed look and her arms were crossed as she eyed the cornered Fallen Angel.

The ones who stayed aside from the argument were the Japanese school girl, Chiho Sasaki, and the Ente Islan inquisitor Crestia Bell – Suzuno Kamazuki. Though they both were quiet, they wore similar looks to Emi's. There was only one person who had taken Urushihara's side in the occurring argument.

"Mama, don't be so mean to Loocifa~~~" the small girl called Alas=Ramus protested as she had stepped in front of the lazy NEET and spread her arms on both sides in order to protect him. Urushihara didn't seem to welcome her protection, as he only flushed red and looked away, his protest completely gone.

Maou sighed at the seemingly ordinary mood of the household.

"Did you really do something so terrible, Urushihara...?" he decided to question the culprit on his own before jumping to conclusions.

"U-um, I..." said demon stuttered and avoided looking at his master, like he was ashamed of something he did. That in itself was rare and caught Maou's attention.

"Wait, you actually screwed up enough to act in that sort of manner?" he asked in surprise, looking toward Ashiya for more answers. Though it wasn't him who informed the Demon King of the current situation.

"Today, Lucifer left the house when you and Shiro-dono were not at home," Suzuno, who had been standing in the sidelines before, spoke up. Maou perked up at her words.

"W-what, really?" he asked, obviously shocked by his former general's actions. It wasn't like him to go outside, considering his computer was at the apartment and the police were looking for him.

"Um, I was just-"

"You have no right to say anything, you waste of space."

"Will you shut your mouth, Lucifer? Resistance is futile."

"Urushihara-san, it'd probably be better if you stayed quiet..."

The three people, Ashiya, Emi and Chiho resisted right away when Urushihara wanted to inform his view on things. Suzuno took this chance to continue her story.

"As Lucifer rarely leaves the house, and _never_ leaves it by himself, I saw it as my duty to follow him outside. Soon I found out that he left in order to visit a store contributed to selling games... I was worried he was going to steal or otherwise cause chaos, but luckily I was wrong," she told in a calm tone of voice.

"But, that doesn't sound that bad, does it...? He has bought things with our money before, this shouldn't be so different from it..." Maou said as he couldn't quite grasp the problem at hand.

"Maou-sama, it is what comes next that is what he should be punished for!" Ashiya exclaimed. "He-"

"I got your credit card stolen," Urushihara cut in, interrupting Ashiya. Maou's eyes widened in shock.

"You-" he couldn't finish the sentence. It was completely quiet in the Devil's Castle for a moment as everyone waited for Maou to react somehow other than a blank stare. "...Urushihara, I hope you know what comes next."

"Eh?" Urushihara showed the King of Demons a look of terror. "Ah, wait, Ma—-!" he was interrupted by Maou's right knee to his stomach, making him fall to _his_ knees in pain. His left knee followed out of muscle memory, hitting the right side of Urushihara's head and making him fall to the floor. "Ha...!" he yelped in stinging pain.

Everyone stared at Maou for a moment. The look in his eyes was not blank anymore, it was full of disappointment and rage.

"Alright, that made _me_ feel better," he suddenly spoke, his mood completely turned around. There was his usual smile on his lips. Emi was the first one to speak.

"Hey, while I'm all for you punishing Lucifer for this, you should not exploit such behaviour in front of Alas=Ramus! That is bad parenting!" she yelled in anger as he picked up the surprised little girl and covered her eyes, though a tad too late. Maou realized his mistake right away.

"Ahhh, you're completely right...! Next time I'll wait until she's in a different room..." Maou said as he took out his cellphone with an apologetic look.

" _Next time_...?" was the pained response from Urushihara, who was clutching his stomach in a fetal position, though it went ignored.

"Papa huwt Loocifa~~~?" Alas=Ramus asked in innocent confusion.

"You're going to let him off this easy?" Ashiya asked as he pointed at the demon on the floor.

"You call this _easy_?!" the purple haired demon exclaimed. "Ahh~~ It hurts," he whined as he pressed one of his hands against his cheek. It was already starting to bruice and swell from the impact.

"Before I even think of scolding him more, I need to see how much money we've lost while he didn't even _think of_ calling me at work..." Maou growled and paced into the hallway. "I'll just make a few phone calls."

* * *

When Maou returned from the hallway, everyone except for Urushihara was sitting around the table and having casual conversation. The Fallen Angel had backed into his corner again as he gently rubbed the bruices he'd received, though not complaining, like he usually would in that sort of situation. To the others' discomfort, he seemed quite remorseful. When Maou stepped inside, everyone's eyes snapped to him immediately, studying his dark expression.

"...How much?" Ashiya asked with his face already losing it's color. Maou seemed unable to answer.

"All I can say now is, that, we... We are not too much in debt," he replied with an uneasy tone. Ashiya let out a sigh of relief. "However, if Urushihara had told me about the mugging right after it happened, we might not have lost anything at all..."

Urushihara's eyes averted to the floor as his face became completely red in shame. Why was he so distracted that he didn't even come to think of such a simple thing?

"See, he is a baggage..." Emi, who was holding Alas=Ramus in her lap, commented.

"He is a baggage whose internet connection will be cut off for _the rest of the month_ ," Ashiya said with a dark tone and stared down the smaller demon. That alerted the NEET's attention straight away.

"W-wait, that's not fair at all!" he protested with vivid hand motions.

"I think that's actually a quite good idea," Chiho argued from the sidelines. "Maybe Urushihara-san will finally pitch in on the housework when he doesn't have anything else to do." Her attitude towards Urushihara's lazy nature was as negative as ever.

"I think that's a proper punishment... Especially since you're usually smarter than that," Maou said as he glared at his general in the corner.

"B-but I can't do any research without the internet connection..." Urushihara gave a weak argument. "And you already beat me up! Isn't that enough?"

"It is not like you actually do something helpful for the Demon Lord's cause when you're surfing on the internet, Lucifer," Suzuno scolded with a demeaning stare. Urushihara didn't have a response, since for the most part she was right. "I suppose now we could almost call you our ally," she joked with a blank expression.

"Moving on - what brings you here, Emi? Not that I'm complaining about seeing Alas=Ramus," Maou said as he kneeled down on the floor. Emi allowed the struggling toddler out of her arms and she ran straight to Maou.

"Papa~~~!" she exclaimed in a cheery tone when her 'papa' picked her up.

"She wouldn't stop crying about wanting to see her papa again..." Emi sighed and leaned one elbow against the table. "It's not like I particularly want to be here, but since Ashiya was making dinner..."

"Speaking of which, I need to _finish_ making dinner... I was interrupted by Urushihara's confession earlier," Ashiya cut in as he stood up and strolled over to the kitchen counters.

"Allow me to help," Suzuno said and followed Ashiya's example.

"So you missed me, Alas=Ramus? I'm glad to hear that," Maou spoke to his daughter in a bright tone and she giggled.

"You're going to drop her if you throw her like that!" Emi complained right away as Maou gently threw Alas=Ramus upwards in order to make her laugh.

"Geez, no need to be so naggy, I have no intention of dropping her..." Maou retorted in an annoyed manner.

"Excuse me...?!" Emi seemed to take his comment as an insult. The scene in front of her made Chiho's stomach twist in an uncomfortable way, leaving her staring at the table top for a moment.

 _When you look at them like this, they seem like a real family..._ Was the though that popped into her head. Urushihara seemed to have taken note of her feelings as he rolled his eyes and crawled over to his computer from the corner.

"Hey, didn't your King just deny you that?" Emi said in disappointment at the figure opening up the laptop.

"The internet connection is still unharmed, isn't it... I might as well browse the internet while I can," Urushihara responded in a moody mutter. Maou strolled over to the small male and closed the screen in front of him, holding Alas=Ramus with one arm. "Hey!"

"The ban on the computer starts right now, internet or not. I still can't believe that you'd cause something this stupid..." the King of Demons sighed. Then it occurred to him. It actually _was_ very out of character for Urushihara to not understand simple consepts like the passage of time. He blinked in thought as he eyed the sulking form of the boy. "Hey, did something actually happen while you were out?" he suddenly asked.

That sparked an interesting reaction in the Fallen Angel.

"N-no, why would you think something happened? Nothing happened," he said in an awkward manner, his face taking on the color red again. His panicked expression caused everyone in the room to look at him with wide eyes and he averted his embarrased gaze toward the tatami.

"Something definitely happened," Chiho said out loud what everyone else was thinking. Though, did she recognize the reaction that Maou's innocent inquiry had caused...?

Urushihara kept his difficult attitude all the way through the short conversation.

"Geez, why do you have to ask me such pointless questions... If I said nothing happened, it's _at least_ something that's not worth mentioning..."

.

.

.

"Wait I... I... Actually wanted to ask you... For your number..." the white haired girl, now stood up from her chair, said with her cheeks the color pink. Urushihara froze, his hand still on the handle of the door. He slowly removed it and turned around to face the girl.

"C...Come again?" he stuttered in confusion. The girl flinched at his words and avoided looking him in the eye.

"I was asking for your number. C-could I please have it?" she repeated herself, shifting her weight awkwardly from one side to the other. Urushihara blinked in confusion as the pieces clicked together in his head.

"...You're asking for my number?" he finally said, causing the awkward situtation to grow even more awkward. The girl gave a hasty nod, her eyes on the floor of the shoe store. "But, uhm... _Why_?" he asked without fully thinking it through.

"How many reasons can there be?!" the girl exclaimed in embarrasment. "Because _I like you_. Eh... After buying you that game, giving me your number is the least thing you can do..."

"Are you... _Bargaining_ for my contact information? If you wanted money for this, you should've said it straight away-"

"No! I don't want any money. What I wanted to say came out wrong," she interrupted him and stumbled over her sentences. She reached into her bag and took out a smartphone, handing it out toward the male. "What I meant is that I don't want this to be the last time we spoke..."

Urushihara stared at the device handed out to him, trying to process the situation occurring. A teenage girl was asking for _his number_ – he wasn't sure if that was even appropriate. Then again, there was a similar situation between Chiho and Maou... His cheeks flushed red when reality hit him with its mighty hammer and he realized that this situation was actually happening.

"I-I..." he stuttered, his hand shaking as he quickly snatched the phone from hers. The girl didn't note the disappearance of the device right away, but when she did, she quickly pulled back her arm and looked at the male with wide eyes. Urushihara averted his gaze from the girl and focused on the screen of the phone, trying to figure out how to use the thing.

Since Urushihara was more familiar with technology than Maou or Ashiya, it wasn't such a struggle for him to figure out how to use the smartphone. He typed in his Skyphone number and wrote his name as ' _Hanzo Urushihara_ ', as it was in Japan. Then he handed out the phone without looking at the blushing girl in the eye.

"I don't exactly have a phone... So I put in my Skyphone number," he said as the girl checked the number. That seemed to remind her of something.

"Oh, I haven't told you my name, have I? It's Wakahisa Hana... Nice to meet you, _Urushihara-san_."

* * *

 **This is a bit shorter than usual, I hope you don't mind. Please review? I tried really hard. ^^**


	5. Chapter 5 - Doubts

Chapter 5 – Doubts

It was getting late in the Demon King Castle and Ashiya was quietly washing dishes while his master and their dinner quests were engaging in casual conversation. Meanwhile Urushihara had retracted to one of the corners of the apartment with his PASTA-console, since the usage of his laptop had been denied from him.

"Wah~~ Alas=Ramus-chan is so cute~~" Chiho admired the little girl bringing drawings for her. Maou was already reaching for his camera when he saw all the different expressions flashing on his daughter's face.

"Chi-neecha, this is mama~~~!" Alas=Ramus exclaimed as she shoved one more of her art pieces to the high school girl. It was a drawing of Emi with her sword, Better Half, as far as Chiho could make out.

"Alas=Ramus is such a talented draftsman," Suzuno complimented as she also sat down to look through the pictures Chiho was holding.

"Isn't she?" Maou proudly stated, as if it was _his_ talent being admired. Then he snapped a picture of Alas=Ramus with the cheap camera he had bought just for that purpose.

"Hey, I can't print your pictures if I can't use the computer," Urushihara tried, though he didn't move his eyes from the gaming device he was holding.

"I've seen you do it many times, I think I can figure it out by now," Maou replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Really, Urushihara-san, bringing that up truly is desperate," Chiho said coldly. Alas=Ramus, confused by the exchange of words, gladly ran around the apartment until he reached the Fallen Angel. She stopped to stare at him with wide eyes.

"Loocifa, mad~~~?" she questioned while tilting her head to one side. Urushihara paused his game as he suddenly looked back at the girl, startling her. "Uwah~~~!" A smile curved on Urushihara's lips.

"I'm very mad, because your papa took away my computer," he said.

"Urushihara, stop that," Ashiya complained as he interrupted doing the dishes for a moment. However, it was too late. Urushihara had already started manipulating the little girl.

"Papa make Loocifa mad~~~?" Alas=Ramus asked as she glanced toward Maou. He looked back at his daughter and flinched at her confused expression. It was widely known in the apartment that, for a reason or another, Alas=Ramus had taken a strange liking to Urushihara.

"Eh, it's not like that – Lucifer did a bad thing, so I'm just punishing him a little..." Maou assured, worried about what would come next.

"Your 'papa' is punishing me because of an accident that happened~~ I think he's being very unfair," Urushihara spoke in a sinister tone as he met eyes with the little girl again.

"You are a bad influence on Alas=Ramus after all," Emi cut in, anger visible in her eyes. She picked up the little girl and carried her farther away from Urushihara. "Don't put strange ideas into her head!"

"I'm just telling her the truth," Urushihara shrugged it off like it was nothing.

" _My ass_ you are," Maou growled at the smaller demon. Urushihara realized that this was either a very good or a very bad idea. He looked toward Alas=Ramus, this time gladly accepting her help. Chiho noted that he truly was ready to sink very low for his computer's sake.

"Papa, mama, why you always mean to Loocifa~~~? Loocifa twy to help~!" Alas=Ramus demanded as she looked into her mama's eyes with teary eyes. Emi couldn't help but feel her heart twist, seeing the little girl like that.

"It is really terrible of you to use this situation to your advantage, _Lucifer_ ," Suzuno scolded.

"Listen, Alas=Ramus... We... We're not mean to him, _ne_ , Lucifer? He's just a little grumpy because he can't procrastinate anymore," Maou assured as he stepped a little closer to Emi and the girl in her arms.

"P—pwocwastinaat~~~?" Alas=Ramus struggled with the long word.

"Why would you use such a word when talking to her? Ugh," Emi sighed.

"Your papa means that he took away Urushihara-san's computer so he would help around the house more," Chiho said softly to the girl.

"Oh," she replied, as if she now understood the situation. "Loocifa help~~~!" she cheered and clapped while looking at the NEET observing the situation. He sighed in disappointment of his failed plan.

"Anyway, it's getting late," Emi said as she checked the time on her phone. "I need to go now if I want to catch the next train."

"I understand," Maou replied, turning to his adopted daughter again. "I suppose that's it for today, Alas=Ramus," he said with slight wistfulness.

"Awwh~~~" Alas=Ramus replied in a sad voice. "Papa~~~ Hug~~~" she demanded, reaching her arms out toward Maou. Emi reluctantly handed the girl to Maou for a moment.

"I have to leave in a minute as well. Want to exit together?" Chiho questioned Emi with a smile.

"Yeah, of course," Emi replied as she already headed for the door to put on her shoes. Chiho and Suzuno followed her.

"I'll be leaving with you as well," Suzuno said. The girls gathered at the door and Emi picked up her daughter from Maou.

"I'll walk you home, Chi-chan," Maou offered.

"N-no, there's no need today, Maou-san! I'm actually meeting one of my friends only a few blocks away. It should be fine," she assured, flailing her hands.

"Hm? Really? I could walk you over there... I don't like the idea of leaving you alone at this hour," Maou spoke in clear doubt.

"It's really nice of you to offer, but really, it's perfectly fine," Chiho insisted.

"Really, if Chiho-chan says she'll be fine, _she'll be fine_. I'd rather not leave her alone with the Devil King anyway," Emi spat. She soon noticed that Alas=Ramus, who had been running around all day, had suddenly fallen asleep in her arms. Her expression softened as the little girl fused into her, the piece of Yesod in Emi's sword calling her back.

"Thank you for the dinner, Ashiya-san," Chiho thanked the demon who was putting away dishes.

"No, after all you have done for us, a small thing like dinner is nothing," he replied with a smile, causing Chiho to get flustered. Ashiya seemed to think of her a bit too highly to her liking sometimes.

"See ya," Emi casually said, being the first one to step out the door. Chiho waved at the three males before going after her, Suzuno being the last one to step out. As soon as the three girls were gone, Maou walked over to Urushihara and grabbed the PASTA from him.

"H—hey!" he cried out in protest.

"Argue us however you want, but don't bring Alas=Ramus into it," Maou said in an annoyed manner. Urushihara sighed and crossed his arms, pouting like a little kid.

"Well... _You're_ the one being unreasonable here..." he muttered to himself.

"Urushihara, since you're not doing anything, take out the trash," Ashiya ordered, taking out the plastic bag full of trash from it's container. He tied it up and handed it toward Urushihara.

"Why should I?" he snapped in annoyance, feeling mistreated.

"Because I'm telling you to. You can go back to your game once you come back," Ashiya said, dropping the bag on Urushihara's lap, causing him to flinch in surprise and disgust.

"That is _gross_!" he complained, though he picked up the bag and headed for the door, angry mutters leaving his mouth. He put on his shoes and slammed the door as he left the apartment.

"Geez, he can be such a pain to handle," Maou yawned and stretched and then placed the console he was holding on the table.

* * *

Urushihara threw the trash bag into the correct container, taking a quick glance at the two people on the street. Emi and Chiho were still here, apparently stopped to chat about something irrelevant to him. The two women noticed him when he slammed shut the lid of the garbage bin.

"Ah, anyway, Chiho-chan... I need to run. Have fun with your friend," Emi said as she was already distancing herself from the shorter girl. "See you around!"

"Same," Chiho replied and waved at the Hero of Ente Isla while she ran through the street in her loud heels. After that she turned to glance toward the demon still hanging around the garbabe. _How fitting, trash among trash_ , Chiho thought to herself with a wry smile.

"What?" Urushihara asked. To Chiho's confusion, he was walking toward her instead of going back inside.

"Nothing, really..." she put it vaguely. "Do you have something you need to say to me?"

"Um..." Urushihara stopped a few meters away from her, staring at the ground for a second. "I need to ask you about something," he admitted. "I mean, I don't _need to_ , but since you're there..." he added, his voice difficult to read.

"Oh? What is it, Urushihara-san?" Chiho asked, still clearly confused of the current situation. The demon seemed to go a bit difficult on the subject.

"I need to ask you about a student at your school. Maybe you know her. Her name is Wakahisa Hana," Urushihara explained, though still being very secretive of the matter. Chiho's curiosity perked at that.

"Why are you asking me about this...? I mean, why would you care about some high school girl?" she asked with her head tilted to the side.

"I—it doesn't matter, just tell me if you know her," Urushihara insisted. Chiho looked at him in thought before answering.

"No. You've made me curious, and while I don't doubt the motives of Maou-san or Ashiya-san, you've always been more of a shady character to me..." she said.

"Ugh," Urushihara made a sound. His hands went into his pockets and he avoided looking at the girl in front of him. "Whatever then."

"Did you really think you would get out of this so easily? You obviously have a reason for asking about her. Spill," Chiho demanded, a confident smirk slowly forming on her lips. The expression in no way suited her usual honest nature. Urushihara scoffed.

"I... Um... _She_ , she's a girl I met. She's suspicious. That's all," he said, still avoiding the details of the matter. Chiho didn't look pleased.

"Maybe Maou-san knows about this girl... Or maybe he doesn't and will torment you for it. Who knows? Maybe I should find out," she spoke cunningly. Urushihara jumped at that.

"N—no, wait, I'll tell you! When did you become so sinister anyway, Sasaki Chiho..." he muttered the last part. "She's a girl that I think is suspicious, because she looks exactly like an angel. She also gives me this weird vibe..." Urushihara tried to reminisce the air around _that girl_. "I met her while I was out and... Maou's credit card got stolen... She bought me the game I was after." Chiho blinked.

"W...What, really? Are you saying that _you_ , the ultra-NEET, got a date the one day he was out of the house?" she said in doubt and crossed her arms. Urushihara's face went completely red.

"It's not _like that_ , I tell you!" he exclaimed in embarrasment.

"I don't see any other reason she would buy a game for you~" Chiho teased. Urushihara clenched his teeth to hold his tongue.

"W-whatever, I don't need your help anyway," he stuttered before turning away from the girl and heading toward the building. He saw it as a mistake from the moment she started blackmailing him. However, Chiho felt a little bad, even when it was Urushihara who she was tormenting.

"Wait, I'll tell you about her," she said, her voice now much softer. Urushihara stopped in his tracks and looked toward Chiho in clear doubt. "Promise." He strolled back over to the girl, though reluctantly.

"As you said, _spill_ ," he said and crossed his arms. The high school girl couldn't help but get annoyed at the remark.

"Her name was Wakahisa-san, right? I don't know her personally, but I think she's a third year at Sasahata North. I hear she's the cliched ' _mysterious pretty girl type who spends most of her time alone_ '," Chiho informed, thinking back to the things she'd heard from her classmates.

"That so? When did she arrive to your school?" Urushihara asked.

"Uh, I don't know, she was there before I was... No one's at least said anything about her being a transfer student, I think," she replied.

"There's still the possibility that your memories have been altered... Especially if she has something to do with Sariel," Urushihara seemed to be deep in thought. Chiho blinked at his reaction.

"Though you always seem like you're lazing around, you actually do worry about these things, Urushihara-san," Chiho calmly pointed out as a smile spread on her lips. The demon flinched at the supposition.

"I—I just look out for things that could be a threat to my lifestyle..." he protested, eyes on the ground. Their little moment was interrupted by an exclaim farther away.

"Sasa~~!" it sounded, alerting Chiho toward the noise. Her friend was currently running over to her with a tired expression.

"K—Kao-chan! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you wait!" she exclaimed to the female figure nearing her and Urushihara. Urushihara blinked indifferently as he studied the unknown person.

"It's not like that, I just happened to see you while heading for our meeting place," the girl called Kao-chan said after catching her breath and chuckled. She turned toward Urushihara, who she hadn't met before. "Hm? Who is this?" she questioned Chiho.

"Oh, um, t—this is Urushihara Hanzo. He lives with Maou-san," Chiho quickly and reluctantly introdused the person who looked like a teenager, though he was a Fallen Angel from the foreign world Ente Isla. "Urushihara-san, this is my friend, Tokairin Kaori."

"Wah, so you're one of the roommates of the famous Maou-san," Kaori said, causing Chiho to go completely red in the face. "Nice to meet ya." Chiho prayed from the bottom of her heart that Urushihara wouldn't act in his usual manner.

"Uh-huh," he said lazily before turning back to Chiho. She felt the embarrasment hitting her immediately. "I'm going back inside."

"Being Sasa's friend, I sort of expected you to be a more charming of a person," Kaori teased the one currently leaving the scene. Urushihara merely rolled his eyes.

"If only you knew..." Chiho muttered to herself.

"Hm?"

"Oh, nothing~~" she sang before pushing her friend away from Villa Rosa Sasazuka.

.

.

.

 _How... How did I end up in a situation like this?_ Urushihara thought to himself while standing out in the open, on the main shopping street of Hatagaya. The crowds of people brushing by him were nothing but a nuisance and the heat of the day didn't even need to be mentioned at this point.

Currently he was standing in front of a popular coffee shop near the clothing store called _Black Pillager_ , that was very popular with young people. The coffee shop also had a very fresh look and attracted a similar kind of crowd, and that's why the two stores were strategically placed near each other. Urushihara was lazily leaning against the wall of the coffee shop, seemingly waiting for someone.

"Urushihara-san?" spoke a voice from the crowd, causing Urushihara to turn toward it in surprise.

 _This is where the hell begins_ , he thought to himself while a single drop of sweat fell down his forehead.

.

.

.

When Urushihara returned inside Villa Rosa after meeting Chiho and her friend, he was met with a curious sight. Maou and Ashiya had both gathered near the laptop, staring at the screen. Urushihara blinked at the screen that was flashing blue.

"Oh, um, I was trying to look up something on the internet and then this happened," Maou said when he noticed the Fallen Angel's precense, scooting over from the seat at the computer. Urushihara took his place and studied the screen.

"..." An unknown number was calling him on Skyphone. Since most of the people who knew his Skyphone number had been already added into his contacts, he was able to take a guess on who it was. He grabbed a pair of headphones before answering the call. "Urushihara Hanzo speaking." Because he answered in such a formal manner, Maou and Ashiya's curiosity was awoken.

"Uh—uh, hello, Urushihara-san... It's me, Wakahisa Hana. Am I bothering you?" the person on the other end stuttered. Urushihara took a quick glance at the two people studying his every action.

"No..." he replied. "What's up?"

"Um – I-I just... Um. I just wanted to ask you something," Hana spoke in a clearly shy voice. Urushihara was already fearing the worst. "I hope this doesn't sound really intruding since we barely know each other... I—I wanted to... Ask you... If you would like to go out on a date with me..." And there it was. Though he heard it very clearly, Urushihara found it hard to believe his ears.

"Eh—? You're really asking me that?" was his automatic response. He really had no clue how to properly answer to what she just said.

"I am... Is—is it too weird? I completely understand if you don't want to," she stumbled. Maou poked Urushihara on the shoulder, startling the Fallen Angel.

"Ahh—! What?" he asked in an annoyed voice as he removed one headphone from his ear.

"Who is it?" Maou questioned in great curiosity. Ashiya also seemed very interested in the conversation.

"No one," Urushihara replied before putting the headphones back on and turning toward the screen. He hid under his long bangs so the other two demons couldn't see his expression. "W—what were you saying again?" he asked the person he had a feeling wasn't completely ordinary.

"Will you go on a date with me?" she asked a bit more composed now. Urushihara couldn't come up with an answer in the next few seconds.

 _If she is an angel, this could be some kind of a plot... I wonder if I should tell—_ Urushihara interrupted his train of thought before glancing at the two curious people. _If I were to tell those two that a teenage girl asked me out on a date, I would never hear the end of it._ He felt like something of that sort was completely different in Maou's position, since he had all the power in the household.

"Uh—eh, yeah, I guess..." he muttered a somewhat comprehensible response. It was out of impulse, and he nearly started shivering right after saying it.

"Really...? I'm—I'm so glad! I... What time and place is alright for you?" Hana asked in a frantic manner.

"Um, anything is fine as long as it's near Sasazuka," Urushihara tried to lower his voice while saying this, though the ears of Maou and Ashiya did not miss this crucial information.

"Urushihara, you're not talking to someone who will cause us to lose money, are you?" Ashiya asked in a doubtful manner, reaching toward his headphones. He stopped his motion out of instinct as Urushihara placed one denying finger in front of him.

"Oh, I'll pick some place then... I—I'll send you more information via text, if that's fine with you..." she spoke.

"Yeah, that's fine... Um, I really have to go now," Urushihara exclaimed as Ashiya made another attempt at taking away his headphones.

"Is that so? I'm sorry for troubling you... Bye!" the girl exclaimed in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

"By—" The call was cut off before Urushihara could reply. He then moved away from the laptop, as Ashiya's struggles to stop him from spending any of their money were starting to get too drastic.

"Who was that? You seemed oddly familiar with them," Maou said in curiosity. "You shouldn't know any people here, since you never go outside."

"T—that was nothing. Absolutely nothing," Urushihara insisted.

* * *

Meanwhile, the form of a third year high school girl collapsed onto the bed in her dorm room, an exhausted expression painted on her features. She was squeezing a purple covered slimphone in her hand.

"The embarrassing things I end up doing..." Hana Wakahisa sighed as she covered her reddened face with one of her arms.

* * *

 **As the people reading the light novels probably realized, Kao-chan is an actual character from the novels. Btw, sorry about Chiho's slight OOC:ness while talking to Lucifer, it was for the sake of the plot... ._. Please review.**


	6. Chapter 6 - An Awkward Encounter

Chapter 6 – An Awkward Encounter

"Hey, Wakahisa-san..." Urushihara lazily greeted the girl whom had so boldly asked him out. He was unintentionally avoiding looking her in the eye, since the situation felt very awkward to him.

"Hello. I hope I didn't make you wait~" she chirped with a soft smile on her features, though her heart was pounding through her chest. Her cheeks were also completely pink – Urushihara barely noticed it from his nervousness. He took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Um, should we go inside? It looks kinda full there," he said, pointing toward the cafe which wall he was leaning against.

"Ah, I wouldn't worry, there are usually always some free seats..." Hana replied with a seemingly carefree attitude. Urushihara couldn't help but question her attitude. She really didn't seem like the type to make throughout plans to him. "We'll know once we get inside, I guess," she continued, turning away from her date and entering the cafe.

.

.

.

It was a Saturday afternoon when Urushihara was carefully listening to the sounds outside his space in the closet. He had been awake for a half an hour or so, but didn't want to make that known to Ashiya. There was always the threat that he would get a babysitter while he was gone, especially after a stunt that cost the household a lot of money.

After wating for a considerable amount of time, he finally heard a sound of the door opening and closing. The last person besides him to still exist in the infamous apartment 201 finally left him alone and he could carefully exit his hiding spot. He poked his head out to see that the tall demon was indeed gone before he dared to fully come out.

"How did I end up in this mess anyway..." he muttered to himself as he snuck toward his laptop. To his surprise it was still there, untouched, but upon farther inspection the power cord was gone. He guessed that Ashiya or Maou had taken it with them. "Let's hope the battery's still intact."

He opened up the old computer, pushing the power button. Luckily, neither of the other two inhabitants of the apartment had realized to take off the fully loaded battery – or was it that they wanted to see whether he had snuck onto the computer? In any case, Urushihara felt gratitude for that.

The first thing he did was check the date and time of today. It was around eleven am on a Saturday. The second thing he did was checking his messages on Skyphone. He wanted to confirm that this particular date was indeed the one that Hana Wakahisa had suggested for their date. And it was. Since she wouldn't get out of work until the afternoon, Urushihara had nothing to do for a few hours.

The date was fine with the Fallen Angel, since he never did much whether it be a weekday or the weekend – not since he was allowed to live with Maou. However, the time was set so that the mentioned Demon King and his most trusted general would likely be home when Urushihara left. He had thought about leaving before they would get back, but he knew that they would eventually find out about all of this anyway.

"Now, let's see how long this old battery will last," he muttered in a desperate tone.

.

.

.

It was around eight in the morning when Chiho Sasaki was leaving her house to attend her part-time job at MgRonald's. Since it was the weekend, she didn't have any school in the morning and could go to work earlier. Any other highschool student would most likely complain about having to wake up early even on the weekends, but Chiho didn't really mind. The fact that the job would help her mature helped keeping herself positive.

She wasn't in too much of a hurry, since her work wouldn't start until nine, but she liked to be a little early just to show her enthusiasm. She walked down the street with a relaxed attitude, checking her phone for time.

"Maou-san has a morning shift as well..." she spoke to herself with a smile, pressing the slimphone against her chest. "I'm so glad." It was no big secret that Chiho harboured rather friendly feelings toward Maou. Actually it wasn't too hard to deduce that they were much more than friendly.

Suddenly something caused Chiho to come to a full stop. She blinked a few times as she studied something she saw in the distance. _Isn't that...?_ There was a girl dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of denim capris and black boots, staring at some store window with glazed eyes. After considering it for a moment, Chiho decided to approach the girl.

"Good morning," she greeted, immediately gaining the attention of the girl. Now she could clearly see that the other, who was slightly shorter than Chiho, she indeed was who Chiho had guessed her to be.

"Wah—Good morning," the girl replied in a startled yelp when spoken to. She stepped half a step away from the redhead, staring at her in confusion, eyes ripped from the store window. Chiho smiled at her softly.

"You're called Wakahisa Hana, if I'm not mistaken," she said. That caused the other person's confusion to noticeably increase. Chiho couldn't help but notice the black fabric sticking out of the girl's large bag.

"Uh, yes, yes I am. D...Do we go to the same school?" the girl replied, taking a quick look at the one she was talking to. She had taken a guess on where she knew her simply by Chiho's apparent age.

"Yeah, my name is Sasaki Chiho. You're a senpai to me, I believe," she said, introdusing herself in a polite manner.

"Is that so? Nice to meet you, Sasaki-san," she responded a bit absently, taking another quick look toward the store window she was previously staring at. Chiho followed her gaze to the window.

"I wasn't interrupting anything, was I? Were you going to go inside?" she asked with a worried tone, clearly apologetic for disturbing Hana.

"N—no, not at all. I couldn't afford those sweets if I wanted to," she chuckled an awkward response, waving her hands in a sort of 'no'-motion.

"Oh, I'm glad... I really don't want to be a bother," Chiho assured still a bit worriedly.

"Really, it's fine," Hana responded with a small smile. "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about, Sasaki-san? I don't think we've ever chatted before."

"No, we haven't. I'm sorry for coming out of the blue like this... It's just, one of my, uhm, _friends_ said that they met you a little while ago..." Chiho began, trying to get to the point as discreetly as she could. "I heard you two exchanged phone numbers." That triggered a radiant blush on the face of her senpai.

"W–wait, are you talking about Urushihara-san?" she stuttered, breaking their eye contact and staring at the tarmac for a moment. "There's not a problem with me talking to him, is there?"

"I didn't mean it that way...!" Chiho exclaimed in surprise. She recognised the signs – she was fairly sure that this girl indeed had an interest in Urushihara, as hard as she found it to believe. _Well, at least she seems like a normal girl... I'm not sure I'd believe her if she said she was from Ente Isla._

"O-oh, sorry. I just thought that... Ah... I'm sorry, I'm a little awkward when it comes to people..." Hana admitted with her head bowed down. "I promise I won't bring any trouble to Urushihara-san."

"I'm glad to hear that. Honestly, I was just a little curious about you," Chiho replied. It now made sense why she spent most of her time away from other people. If she was awkward with conversations, obviously she wanted to avoid them.

"Really, this week has been crazy enough living with the fact that we're actually going on a date... Some jealous girl from school would've been too much," Hana explained in a rather relieved tone.

"Haha, yeah, it certainly sounds like–" Chiho interrupted herself as something clicked inside her head. "Wait _, you're going on a date together?!_ " Hana jumped at her reaction.

"Err, you didn't know? I thought you two were friends..." She stuttered in surprise. "Wait, could it be that he wanted to keep it a secret? I didn't mean to slip such a thing...!" Chiho was staring at her with her mouth agape.

"I... Eh..." She quickly composed herself. "I'm sorry, I was just surprised... Urushihara-san usually avoids the outside of his home. A date with a girl was something I just wouldn't expect from him..." Hana laughed at that.

"That's the same picture I got from him. I didn't really mind, since I'm quite similar by nature," she admitted. "Ah, I'm really sorry, but I should probably get going. My work is going to start soon."

"Oh, you too? Well, it was nice meeting you, Wakahisa-senpai. Maybe well talk again, you know, if the date between you and Urushihara-san goes according to plan," Chiho said, trying to cover up her still present surprise of the situation.

"Yeah, maybe," Hana replied vaguely as she had already started backing away from the younger high schooler. "See you around."

"See ya," Chiho replied and gave the other girl a small wave. Then she proceeded to check the time on her phone again, continuing her walk toward MgRonald's. _What a start this day had..._

* * *

It was finally the time for her break when Chiho launched into the employee room and searched for her phone. Though during the week she could only work such a short time that there was no room for a break, on Saturdays she got to keep one – and she felt like it was a stroke of luck that she'd ran into Hana Wakahisa. Maybe it just was that she hadn't paid attention to her prior to these events.

 _Maou-san did say he'd take away the internet, but I'll try this anyway._ She looked for Urushihara's Skyphone number and after hesitating for a moment, called it. _At least it's calling,_ she thought, taking it as a good sign.

"What do you want, Sasaki?" Urushihara answered in an annoyed, tired tone, seemingly woken up not too long ago.

"You're going on a date with that girl?!" Chiho exclaimed into the phone, unable to keep herself calm anymore. It really was too much of a shock for her.

"W–where did you hear that from?" Urushihara stuttered in surprise, his face heating up on the other end of the line. Chiho sucked in a breath.

"So it is true...!" she said in an odd, unreadable tone. Urushihara supposed that this was what Earth girls sounded like when they talked about gossip.

"Is it really so hard to believe that a girl would find me attractive?" Urushihara complained, even if he found it hard to believe himself. He could barely communicate with strangers, so it came to him as a surprise that anyone would be too interested in him.

"Eh, that's not how I meant it," Chiho said apologetically, as she didn't really want to hurt his feelings. As much as she got annoyed by Urushihara, she still had grown to like him, albeit a little bit. "But, uh, are you really doing this? It means leaving the house again." There was a grunt heard from the other end of the line.

"I don't have much choice, do I? I already said yes, so why not investigate..." he said in a somewhat roundabout manner. "Anyway, did you go talk to her? Since I don't know any other way you'd found out."

"I did, I ran into her going to work, but... Maou-san doesn't know about this? What if something happens while you're out?" Chiho was starting to get more worried.

"Well, now I have you, don't I? Besides, do you really think I couldn't handle myself, Sasaki Chiho?" Urushihara spoke in an annoyed tone, expecting a bit more respect from the young girl.

"Uh, I..." Chiho began, but never finished her sentence. She didn't know what to think about the smallest demon of Maou's household. Sure, she had seen him fight and thought he was powerful, but with his NEET habits it was hard to tell if he'd survive a date with human rules and customs.

"Ne, what was that stuttering for? You don't think it'll be fine?" Urushihara complained in a noticeably annoyed tone.

"I think... Maybe you should tell Maou-san," Chiho said truthfully, sighing. She didn't see how anything good could come out of this.

"Tell me what?" At that exact moment, the person Chiho had just mentioned decided to barge into the employee room, as his break seemed to have began. He blinked his demonic red eyes as he looked toward his kouhai with curiosity, sitting down at the table in the small room.

"Was that Maou? Sasaki, whatever you do, _don't_ tell him anything. I'd never hear the end of it! Just trust me this one time," Urushihara begged.

"I—uh," Chiho wasn't sure what to do in this situation. She took a deep breath before putting a smile on her face. " _Just this once_ , bye," she said to the phone, ending the call. She then sat on one of the seats at the table.

"Was that Urushihara on the phone...?" Maou asked. He had taken a guess that, if it was something that was hidden from him they were talking about, he was the most likely of all the options.

"Hm, no, you must've heard something wrong, Maou-san," Chiho assured, though Maou didn't completely buy it. However, he decided to leave the matter at that, since he trusted the judgement of his co-worker.

"Oh, alright then," he replied. Everyone seemed to be getting odd phone calls these days.

.

.

.

Like Hana had guessed, all the tables in the cafe weren't full. Actually some of the best ones had just emptied, and she and her date had room to choose whichever one they wanted. They settled for a table near the windows, though Urushihara picked himself a spot where he couldn't be directly seen from the street. There was an advertisement on the other side of the window from where he sat.

They were sitting on the opposite sides of the table, both on small two-person sofas. They had brown seats and the tables were of lime green glass. They were really see-through, and it looked pretty with the lighting of the cafe. Hana put down her large, black leather bag on the sofa next to her, taking out her lime green wallet that fit in with the decor of the room.

"This is a self-service place, so we need to get up in order to get drinks and food..." she explained, while taking a quick glance at the cash desk.

"I know what 'self-service' means," Urushihara replied, rolling his eyes lightly. A blush formed on the soft features of Hana's face as she got on her feet.

"O-of course you know, I'm sorry... I don't know why I just explained it," she stuttered, one of her hands rising to cover some of the red on her cheeks. The Fallen Angel seemed taken aback by her overly frantic reaction and he quickly turned to stare at the table top.

"Uh, go ahead, I don't really need anything..." he said vaguely.

"What, really? You're not gonna get anything at all?" Hana replied, most of her previous franticness replaced by surprise.

"I'm not hungry... Or thirsty for that matter," Urushihara said. Though, his reason for not getting anything was completely different in reality. He would've wanted to taste whatever sweets the cafe had to offer, but he really had no money to do so.

"Hmm, is that so? Well, I'll get an iced coffee for myself," she said, smiling, before twirling around and heading for the line at the counter.

"Uh-huh," Urushihara hummed to himself in disappointment. Since he got a little break from his date for a moment, he took a lax position, leaning against his hands and looking out the window with an indifferent expression. There were loads of different people passing by the coffee shop, only a rare few of them looking toward the small business.

After a while he got bored of waiting for Hana to return, taking a glance at where he expected her to be. She was currently at the top of the line, waiting for the casheer to return from somewhere. It was at that moment that Urushihara really took a look at her appearance for the first time.

She was wearing a black dress, something edgier than an average girl would wear on a date – not to mention it didn't fit the atmosphere of the cafe at all. On her feet were leather boots with silver colored belt buckles and barely any heel – a design he personally didn't mind at all. Her thick hair was on a high ponytail, completing the oddly nice outfit. Before he had questioned her choices in fashion, but this outfit he actually really liked.

Urushihara himself was wearing his usual clothes, though he had switched to his jeans when going outside again. Also, he had taken the time to properly comb his hair as well. He wasn't completely dense when it came to social situations, after all, as much as he acted that way.

Urushihara was woken up from his thoughts when something was slammed onto the table in front of him. Well, not really slammed, but since he was deep in thought that's what it felt like to him. He blinked a few times, since the sound had really scared him.

"What's this?" he asked while pointing at the drink placed in front of him.

"It's a coke," Hana replied with a wide smile on her face, sitting down opposite from him. He rolled his eyes.

"I know what it is. But, uh, why did you get this for me?" he asked in disbelief, staring at the drink. The girl simply offered him a short giggle.

"I was guessing that you didn't have any money with you. Why would you, since your guardian probably wasn't too happy when you came back home without their credit card, ne?" she chuckled, taking a sip from her iced coffee through a pink straw.

"Oh, uh, thanks..." Urushihara said awkwardly, still staring at the drink. It looked really good with a bunch of ice in the tall glass. A green straw was poking out of it temptingly.

"It's nothing... I get it," she said, giving him a wry smile. "I hope coke is fine with you."

"Yeah, it's fine," he said, finally taking a sip from the hissing drink. It tasted heavenly to say the least, especially on a hot day like this one. "How come you're not suffering from the heat, dressed all in black...?" he asked out of nowhere, feeling it was pointless himself.

"It's not like I'm wearing a winter jacket. This dress breathes just fine," she replied with an incredulous expression. They were both obviously looking for something better to talk about. "So, uh... How come your guardian even let you out?"

"He was actually out at the time I left... And our other roommate left for the store, so I was left alone in the apartment. So, I guess you could say I snuck out," Urushihara explained as shortly as he could. Then he sipped his drink again.

"What, seriously?" she chuckled. "That's thoughtful of you."

"Is it?" he asked, staring at her in surprise. As soon as the eye contact was established, the both of them blushed and turned back to their drinks. It seemed like neither of them didn't do this sort of thing often.

"Uh—so, why'd you decide to go out with me?" Hana asked, startling Urushihara with such a question. He got visibly confused as he glanced toward his date.

"What?" he asked in a lack for other words.

"I mean, I, uh..." she stuttered. "I ran into Sasaki Chiho this morning. She's a friend of yours, right? She said that you don't usually leave your apartment... So I was just wondering why make an exception for me."

"Ummm..." Urushihara sounded, as he was shocked by the question. He was well aware that the wrong answer would lead the girl to believe that he had some special feelings toward her, which obviously wasn't true. He was simply curious. Though, each second he spent with her, he believed more and more that she was just an ordinary Earth girl. That, however, made him realize that in that case this would be an _actual date_. "Um... I... I..." he stuttered with a bright blush, as he was unable to answer.

"Sorry, was that a weird question..?" she asked, also completely red in the face. Neither of them really wanted to form eye contact with each other again. "U-uh, so, um, w-what's it like at your place? I'm guessing you spend a lot of time on the internet..." she said, attempting to change the atmosphere.

"Yeah, you could say so..." he put it vaguely, still avoiding eye contact. "It's kind of crappy at home. I live in a one room apartment with two other guys, you know? At least I can get some privacy by entering the only closet in the room..." he explained, desperate to distract himself from the previous awkwardness.

"Is that so?" Hana replied, taking a sip from her iced coffee.

"When you ran into Sasaki in the morning... You were heading for your workplace, right? Is it somewhere near MgRonald's?" he asked, though Urushihara wasn't really too interested in such trivial things, especially if it wasn't someone who belonged to his everyday life. However, he was short on conversation topics.

"Yeah, I work at the Black Pillager across the street," she said, pointing toward the clothing store opposite of the cafe. Urushihara leaned in closer to the table in order to see out the window and across the street.

"Oh?" he mouthed, looking toward the store in odd curiosity. "I'm betting that's where your clothes are from. Employees get a discount in stores like those, right?" he questioned before sitting back down.

"Yeah, most of my wardrobe comes from there..." she admitted with a face that said ' _It's really that obvious, huh?_ ' Though she clearly had two working eyes on her head, she didn't dare say a word about Urushihara's cheap looking t-shirt. His jeans looked fine to her, though they had lost some of their color after what she supposed was many times of washing.

"I think I once looked at the store's website. It had clothes for both sexes, right?" he said thoughtfully. Hana looked at him in displeasure.

"You're really making me talk about work?" she sighed, glancing at the store again. "Yeah, it does. Why, are you interested? You're broke though."

"Don't remind me," Urushihara replied in a tired manner.

"Hey, so, since you have a guardian, you're underage, right? How come you don't go to school?" Hana asked, her head tilted slightly to the side as she questioned the Fallen Angel.

"School really isn't my thing, nor is work," he casually said. "Besides, I have no intention of living here forever..."

"You mean in Tokyo, or...?"

"I mean in Japan," Urushihara said.

"Really? But wouldn't it be better to have an education going overseas as well?" she asked in disbelief, leaning her elbows against the table. Indeed, it was strange why Urushihara wouldn't get an education from her point of view.

"It's not exactly overseas I intend to go..." he said absent-mindedly, not fully realizing the contents he just spilled.

"Hm?"

"Ah, nothing," he quickly corrected himself. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I can work it out wherever I go."

"At least you're confident, I suppose," she chuckled a bit dryly. "So, have you been able to play _War of Heaven and Hell_?" As ironic as it was, it was the name of the game that Hana and Urushihara had both been after. Because of certain events, Hana had ended up buying Urushihara that game.

"No, since my guardian kind of took away my laptop," he admitted with clear reluctance.

"Oh, that's too bad. It's a really cool game. I started playing it a few days ago, when I had some free time," she explained. Urushihara's ears perked up. Finally a subject he was actually interested in – maybe it hadn't been a complete waste for him, attending this so-called date.

"Is it really? I read some things about it, but I've yet to see it in action," he said, hoping for Hana to elaborate more on what the game was like.

"Yeah, it's really cool. You play as either an angel or a demon... There are five types of both. It's pretty much the ordinary MMORPG consept where you pick your character and do a bunch of quests. So far the story has been very indearing and detailed," Hana explained in a simple manner. Even that was enough to really catch Urushihara's interest.

"Really? How's the player interface and, well, controls?" he asked. For the first time during their conversation there was clear interest in his tone and he seemed perceptive overall. That made his date get a bit more excited about the subject.

"I'm not a professional or anything, but to me the controls seemed fine. It's pretty basic and easy to operate. The player interface... I'm guessing you're interested in doing things in a bigger party or a guild? The chat options can be kind of complicated with all the commands, I've yet to figure it out, really, but making a party is easy. You just have to be a certain level for it... Joining guilds is something I haven't looked up yet," she told. Suddenly, their date had turned into two RPG-nerds rambling on about a fictional game. Urushihara could already feel the disappointed stares facing the back of his head.

"Hm, that sounds pretty nice..." he admitted, leaning back in his seat, clearly thinking about what she had just said. It was quiet between them for a short time before Hana started laughing. "W-what is it?"

"It's funny to me that this is the only thing you're engaged in... At least I know how to catch your interest now," she explained, causing Urushihara to look at her with a calm expression. That's right, he wasn't there to have fun _nor_ date her. He went there because of a simple reason: He wanted to make sure she wasn't a threat. And it was very obvious to him that she wasn't. However, he wanted to run one more test on her before 'dumping' the girl.

"You know how there's usually magic in those sorts of RPG:s," Urushihara began, facing the street. Hana couldn't quite catch what he was hinting at.

"Yeah, what about it?" she asked with a smile.

"Do you believe that there's that sort of magic here, in this world?" he continued, turning to face her like a mysterious character from a cheesy shoujo manga. She blinked before letting out a soft chuckle.

"What on Earth are you talking about..." she laughed it off. "I mean, sure there _could be_ , but I wouldn't believe it unless I saw it."

"Then, if I told you right now as a fact that magic existed and I was, _I don't know_ , a fallen angel for example, you wouldn't believe it?"

"Where did that even–"

" _That's enough,_ " a voice from nearby interrupted this peculiar conversation.

* * *

 **Hello everyone, sorry it's taken a while. Please review? I work hard. Kinda.**

 **Guest: I have every intention of finishing this story, so no worries!**


	7. Chapter 7 - Trust

Chapter 7 - Trust

Their eyes shot away from each other and toward the sudden noise that had interrupted their conversation. It had been a snappy female voice that had intruded on the date, in which Urushihara and Hana took part in, with a sharp tone.

"What the hell?" Urushihara asked in annoyance and surprise when he recognized the figure staring down at him.

It was Hero Emilia Justina, or a a call center employee in the Japanese mobile phone company Docodemo, Emi Yusa. She was standing next to the table with an unpleased look, her yellowish green eyes going between the male and female seated at the coffee shop table.

A bit behind Emi was standing another person, though much shorter than her, silently judging the scene in front of her. That was Suzuno, adding to Emi's stare with folded arms. As one could guess, the two people they had snuck onto were anything but happy.

"E—excuse me, but what's going on?" Hana stuttered in confusion while she looked at the two unknown women with wide eyes. Her words went ignored by everyone.

"I can't believe you would actually go far enough as to say those things out loud!" Emi yelled while slamming her hand against the glass table, causing Urushihara to get worried she would crack it. The two drinks on the table shook threateningly.

"Stop that, you know I don't have any money on me!" he argued back. He felt slightly misplaced, as the one in his stead was usually Maou or even Ashiya. However, as of now, he seemed surprisingly worried about damaging the café's property.

"Like you would pay for it yourself anyway, you hermit!" Emi spat while leaning toward the small male, towering over him. He flinched back, showing his fear toward the younger girl.

"Why are you here anyway, Emilia?! I thought you were supposed to be at work or, at least stalking Maou instead of me!" Urushihara pryed as he was clearly losing the short power struggle between them.

"I don't have to explain myself to _the likes of you_ , _NEET_ , but since it's relevant, I'll tell you anyway. Suzuno-chan here noticed you going out again, so she phoned me just in case. I rushed over here early from work, and apparently it's lucky I did!" she explained, fuming, arms flailing frantically as she submitted her complaints.

"What, I'm clearly not doing anything suspicious if I'm just out with a girl!" he argued.

"Just the fact that you're _'out with a girl'_ is suspicious enough!" Emi argued back. Urushihara couldn't say anything to that, since in all honesty, it was true. "Not only that, but you were _actually_ gonna tell her about Ente Isl—"

" _Stop_."

The one who had been observing everyone from the side suddenly said this. Though Emi and Urushihara first thought that it was directed toward them in order for their fighting to stop, they were wrong. When they finally broke their eye contact, they realized that the fourth person belonging to this huge scene they were making, had been trying to slip away unnoticed.

Hana had stood up and had taken her bag from the sofa, only to be stopped by Suzuno, who had stepped in front of her. In Suzuno's eyes was a firm gaze that would've cracked a mountain if needed to. Yet, she stood there, facing the other small girl with an indifferent expression.

"Wakahisa-san?" Urushihara called her name, causing her to look over her shoulder before turning completely toward him and Emi.

"So you _were_ from Ente Isla after all," she said with a soft chuckle. "Urushihara-san, no, that wouldn't be your name, would it… Ah, from what you told me, I can only assume you're the infamous Fallen Angel, Lucifer-sama. She's called Emilia, right? The nephilim Emilia Justina, Hero of Ente Isla. I'm humbled," she continued with a slightly amused yet bitter tone, her gaze barely brushing over them.

"Y-you… You're not from here?" Emi asked in surprise as she studied the girl with her eyes. "Now that I think about it, you do look like an—"

" _An angel_ , right? Yeah, that's what I am," Hana interrupted, a small smile on her lips. "You shouldn't worry, I'm not here to cause you any trouble. I knew there was magic being used all over this city, but just who caused it, I'm not sure I would've guessed. Anyway, I'd love to get going, so…" She turned around, locking eyes with a seemingly surprised Suzuno, her attempt to walk past her.

" _Wait,_ " Urushihara called from the table, though it didn't seem too necessary with Suzuno blocking the girl's way. "Why don't you sit down," he said softly, like it was just a suggestion. For a moment, a pained expression showed on her features, before she slowly turned around and sat back down.

During all the commotion, it was surprising no one had stepped in and stopped the momentary chaos. Now the four people behind this scene were all seated together around the table, Hana and Suzuno on one side and Urushihara and Emi on the other.

.

.

.

Urushihara eyed the clock in the lower right corner of his laptop screen. It was almost time for him to leave and Ashiya and Maou were nowhere in sight. Truly, it was an ideal situation. At this time Ashiya would usually already be home, but maybe he had found something interesting in his research and stayed out overtime. Maou's work shift would end any minute now, but it wasn't too odd for him to work extra hours, so Urushihara wasn't worried for either of them.

As his eyes moved from the clock a little bit to the left, he noticed that the battery of the old laptop was almost done. He moved his cursor over the battery sign to see the exact percentage. Twenty-two. It would maybe last another twenty to thirty minutes, if he was lucky. Maybe he could attach the power cord again while his roommates were sleeping, if it wasn't too hard to find. Then again, how many hiding places could such a small apartment have? Unless they hid the cord at Suzuno's place, was the plan practically executed.

Urushihara's train of thought was interrupted by a sound of a door. It wasn't a door to one of the two apartments on the second floor of the building, but the door opening to the infamous staircase just outside them. As soon as this sound was heard, Urushihara slammed shut the lid of his laptop and sprinted into the bathroom, locking the door after him. He was just in time, as he heard someone enter their apartment.

"Urushihara?" Ashiya's voice called, and Urushihara flushed the toilet as a distraction. Soon after he stepped out with a nonchalant expression and tone.

"What?" he asked, seeing if Ashiya had bought something tasty from the store, only to notice he didn't even have any bags with him. "You weren't at the store?"

"No, I'm afraid I forgot my wallet. I'm surprised you didn't notice," he said a bit passive-agressively while picking up the discussed item. "If you would've, we'd be in farther debt again, _wouldn't we_ …" he half mumbled.

Urushihara simply sighed as a response, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes as he looked away from the taller male.

"Whatever," he muttered under his breath, only to receive an annoyed gaze from the other.

"Don't give me that nonchalant attitude, Urushihara, Milord and myself are still angry at you," Ashiya told in an annoyed voice. They locked eyes for a moment, pretending it was a staring contest. Ashiya let Urushihara win this time around, turning his attention to the laptop. "I hope you have actually followed the punishment we've given you..." he said while strolling toward the device. Urushihara felt cold shivers running up his spine when the _house-husband_ , as he often called Ashiya, was getting close to the computer that was still hot from usage.

"D–don't you have to go to the store?" he urged, one of his arms reaching toward the back of his former comrade and current provider in despair. It was too late, Ashiya had placed his hand over the laptop and felt the heat coming off it, his eyes quickly narrowing and challenging Urushihara for the second time.

"Of course you couldn't keep your hands off it," he said, clearly disappointed at the NEET's actions. "Milord was actually thinking about easing off on your punishment, since you didn't really _mean_ for his credit card to be lost, but I have every intention of convincing him otherwise. This is a good opportunity for you to learn some respect of other people's things." Urushihara gritted his teeth together, though he didn't let his increased annoyance show more than that.

"Since when did you become the one to teach me about anything," he spat with dripping sarcasm.

"Since the moment you decided to reside in this apartment," Ashiya replied very quickly, shooting down the weak attempt at dominating the conversation. "No matter, I have to get going now. Oh, and don't think you'll find your precious power cord. I gave it to Kamazuki-san before I left the first time," he continued in a slightly more eased tone.

That was it, all hope for Urushihara's continuing net surfing crumbled. His expression clearly showed hopelesness for a moment.

"I'll be back in thirty minutes. You can help me with the chores when I come back," Ashiya said with an uncharacteristic smug grin, feeling like he had won in the conversation. "Don't destroy anything while I'm gone." And with that, he left the apartment.

Urushihara was left alone, and for a moment he just stared at the ground, frustrated. He still had his gaming console, but Ashiya made sure to keep it away from him for most time. Without his computer _and_ console, he really didn't have anything to do – _besides_ the tasks that Ashiya would order him.

Eventually he moved from his spot, opening the laptop with only a driblet of battery left in it, and checked the time again. It was still a bit early to leave, but if he were to do it later, Ashiya would most likely stop him. To addition, while he had thought about telling him and Maou the truth, right now it didn't feel like a positive option. They were keeping his things _hostage_ , after all. Well, technically that wasn't the correct term for this situation, but it was the first one that came to his mind.

Besides, what if it was nothing he was worried about? Really, it felt like a nice option to rebel a little after what he felt like was unfairness. As much as it made him feel like a human teenager, he wanted to provoke his " _parents_." When he thought about it now, in the state of mind he was in, it was clear that he would have to sneak out now, when neither of his roommates were at home.

.

.

.

"So... Uh..." Urushihara began awkwardly, as everyone seated at the table had been quiet since they sat down.

"Okay, okay—First of all: _Lucifer_ , why on Earth were you out with this girl?" Emi asked in a puzzled, annoyed tone while trying to make sense of the situation.

"I would also like to know that," Suzuno added.

"Ah... Well, I... It... She..." Urushihara stuttered. "T—the last time I went out, she asked for my number, okay? And—"

" _And_ then you did everything she said like a dumbass? I hate to say this, but it doesn't sound like you," Emi interrupted.

" _Just_ let me finish," Urushihara demanded. " _She_ asked me out, and I had this feeling that she might be from Ente Isla... So that's why I decided to go." Emi and Suzuno seemed dumbfounded, but their reactions soon died down.

"Of course the only girl wanting to engage with him would be a plot of some sort," Suzuno said to herself in thought, like realizing a vicious plan.

"Don't you think that's a little—"

"But really, following a gut feeling _and_ doing so without the help of your fellow demons. That's really risky. It almost sounds _dangerous_. Kind of reminds me of how you _used to be_ rather than what you are now," Emi thought out loud.

"Did you just use ' _what_ ' instead of ' _who_ '? What was that supposed to mean anyway?!"

"Putting it aside, Emilia, what about this girl who says she's an angel?" Suzuno questioned while pointing at the girl next to her.

" _What do you mean putting it aside?!_ "

Urushihara's complaint went ignored.

"Yeah, that's right... _Who are you_ , exactly?" Emi asked when she suddenly remembered Hana. The girl avoided looking at any of the people around her, staring at the lime colored glass of the table.

"I—uh, I'm really just a nobody. You should just let me go," she tried, though everyone including her knew it was pointless.

"From the moment you got involved with all of us, you couldn't possibly have been a nobody. Just spare us from farther investigation and explain yourself," Emi said a bit tiredly while leaning the side of her chin against one of her hands. Hana quickly glanced up at her before talking again.

"I... I honestly want nothing to do with Ente Isla, but I'm afraid I've trapped myself into this situation," she sighed. "When me and Lucifer-sama—"

" _You can drop the 'sama',_ " Emi commented.

"...When me and _Lucifer_ first met, I was at the same gaming store he was. I thought I felt a surge of magic from him, so I felt like I needed to go after him – I know I said I want to stay away from Ente Islan business... However, I wasn't sure what I should do when I thought I spotted another magic user, so my first instinct was to chase him," she explained, her eyes moving from the table top to Urushihara. "That's how I ended up in this situation."

"Hold on, how did you find out Lucifer is a magic user? I'm fairly sure there's almost nothing to sense of him as it is," Suzuno said. "The demons are pretty much completely drained out of magic here."

"So are the humans," Urushihara added bitterly.

" _At least we_ have a way of restoring our magic," Emi challenged. The battle was quickly ended with a frustrated groan from the angel's part.

"Ano..." Hana stuttered with her cheeks pink, seemingly a bit awkward about what would come next. "Maybe it's because our hands touched. The surprise of that probably lowered your guard enough for me to detect it..."

"Oh, that could be it," Urushihara replied, unaffected by the topic. "It was probably the same for me."

"But really, apart from how you came to contact with Lucifer, we know nothing of you," Emi cut in before the conversation would get off-topic. "Why are you on Earth of all places if you're not here to cause us trouble?"

"Um..." Hana's eyes shot back onto the table, as she seemed reluctant to tell them anything.

"We can not let you go before we know it's safe," Suzuno confirmed. "Though we are not sure we can just count on your words, we'd still like to hear what you have to say."

"To tell you the truth... I've been in Japan for three years now," she began. "Not too long ago I started sensing magic in this city, but until now I've had nothing to do with it, like I planned from the beginning. I... I haven't been in Heaven for all that time, but as of now I'm not counted as a fallen angel. My reasons for leaving have nothing to do with any task from Heaven and I wish not to speak of it," she explained in a bit of a roundabout way. "I am not a strong angel, my rank is very low, so I shouldn't pose a threat to any of you – one command from Lucifer and I will sit still, like demonstrated."

A short silence followed as the three people processed what she had said.

"Since you'll follow a command from _him_ , you'll follow a command from the archangels reciding in this city," Emi said calmly. "I'm afraid I have to think of you as an enemy."

"So there _are_ more angels here...! I thought so..." Hana exclaimed. "B—but I want to have nothing to do with them."

"It doesn't matter, if one of them finds you and decides to use you for whatever purpose, you will have to follow their will," Urushihara replied while looking out the window absent-mindedly. "While they may not use you for direct attack, I'm sure there are other uses they could think for you."

"Why did that sound unnecessarily perverted," Hana commented with narrowed eyes.

"It is not like we can just keep her as a prisoner either, though," Suzuno added into the conversation. "Ah, but...! If we were to know your address and phone number..." she continued while turning to Hana.

"...!" She looked startled when those things were discussed.

"I already have her phone number," Urushihara said.

"How else would you two have communicated," Emi commented while rolling her eyes. "Anyway, where do you live—Um, I don't believe I caught your name?"

"It's... It's Lilith. Well, Wakahisa Hana if you want to go by my name here," Hana briefly introduced herself. "I live in the dormitory of Sasahata North high school."

"Wait, that's Chiho-chan's school!" Emi exclaimed in surprise.

"Emilia, is, is it really safe to have her in the same area as Chiho-dono? We don't know her and should not put any trust in her," Suzuno replied in a worried manner.

"For an inquisitor from the Church to not trust an angel, that's a little weird..." Urushihara muttered to himself.

"I already told you, I intend to stay away from you and anything else concerning Ente Isla..." Hana assured weakly. "Or Heaven for that matter."

"I give my regrets, but that won't do," Suzuno said, shaking her head from side to side. That only received a displeased expression from the angel.

"...Can I just say that I find it weird that the famous hero of Ente Isla and the Demon General fighting against her in the war are sitting at the same table..." Hana half mumbled bitterly. "Then there's this out of place inquisitor as well."

"Things... Things have gotten a bit more complicated since we came to Japan," Emi vaguely explained.

"Sure looks like it."

Suzuno slowly moved her eyes from Hana to Emi, the two girls forming eye contact. It was clear from Suzuno's slightly changed expression that she felt a little sorry for the angel they had come into contact with. Though, they knew that it still could be an act she was pulling and they needed to stay on their toes for now.

"Wakahisa-dono, since we have your name, address and contact information, I do not believe we need to bother you any longer. Right, Emilia?" Suzuno said softly, though her expression was blank.

"Right... There's no need to interrogate you farther right now," Emi confirmed. Suzuno scooted over from her seat to let the girl away from the corner of the sofa.

"R...Really?" Hana asked in disbelief, but stood anyway. Suzuno quickly took her place and sat down with her back straight.

"Just go before they change their minds..." Urushihara commented lazily and leaned against the table.

"Then... Emilia-san, _Inquisitor-san_ , Lucifer... I hope we don't meet again," she spoke in a bit of an unsure tone before turning away from the three people and exiting the café.

"...Was this really a good idea?" Emi thought out loud.

"Is now really the time to question it?" Urushihara asked in disbelief and amusement of the Hero's indecisiveness.

"Oh, shut your mouth," she replied with a snappy attitude while taking out her phone and checking the time. "Your _master_ should be out of work by now. Better get going~" she teased in a blank tone.

That's when it clicked to him. Urushihara had to explain everything that had happened to Maou. Not only Maou, but Ashiya as well. At least his hunch had been right, so there would most likely not be any yelling involved.

* * *

 **No one was too OOC, were they...? It was hard not to slip up writing this. Please, for the love of Maou, review~**


	8. Chapter 8 - A Strange Invitation

Chapter 8 – A Strange Invitation

"So... That's how it is..."

The one talking was on all fours, defeated, in front of his king with purple bangs hanging over one of his eyes. He seemed embarrased, _humiliated_ even, as he explained what he had been doing for the past few days as vaguely as possible.

"What you're telling me is that... You and another angel coincidentally run into each other, and both immediately think 'Hey, that person might be of my breed! Better ask them out'?" Maou summarized with a disbelieving tone and expression, a frown slowly forming onto his features.

Urushihara could only look upwards and shamefully nod. Maou clicked his tongue.

"That's one hell of a story," he admitted, seemingly quite impressed. "Buuut... You did pull through in the end, didn't you? I mean... This girl _was_ an angel after all," he continued, momentarily turning away from his servant. Urushihara sat up from his position and quickly glanced toward Ashiya, who was quietly monitoring the situation.

" _I guess_ ," the small male replied in an indifferent tone. "So do I get a medal? I don't know where you're going with this," he added sarcastically. Maou strided around the apartment a few times before stopping in front of him again, sighing before his next sentence.

"I'll give you back your rights on the computer."

"MILORD!"

"H-huh?"

The one to protest immediately was Ashiya.

"Hmm? Are you opposing my decision?" Maou asked determinately as he turned to his most loyal general.

"I VERY MUCH AM, MAOU-SAMA!" he exclaimed in anger, causing Maou to slightly jump back in surprise. Urushihara followed the exchange with a dumbfounded expression.

"W-why are you...?" the now cowardly leader of the demon army took a step back from the rampaging, older demon who was, figuratively speaking, about to lose his shit. Ashiya took a deep breath before starting his unavoidable lecture.

"...Maou-sama... Do you not realize, that this person—" he began sharply, pointing toward Urushihara, "For the longest time, has done _nothing_ but cost us money? _Not only that_ , but he's lazy and doesn't help around at all—"

" _Tssk_."

"...And so he has absolutely _no value_ in this household. Even after he _betrayed_ you, betrayed _us_ , you let him in our house with _no questions asked_ and _even_ provide him with a computer and an internet connection. Then, to top it all off, he goes and loses your credit card. Maou-sama, it's your _credit card_..."

"It's not like I meant to—"

" _AND_ the _one time_ you actually do _properly punish him_ , you intend to take it back. Do you realize that there is, indeed, a _huge_ error in your ways... Milord?" Ashiya finished, his expression stony, as he did nothing but stared at Maou. The latter couldn't do anything but stare back, wide eyed, unable to speak for the time being.

"Really? You're not going to defend me _at all_?" Urushihara asked in annoyance, folding his arms and letting out a huff.

"Defend yourself, if you have something to counter him with!" Maou shot back between his teeth, momentarily shifting his attention to the purple haired boy.

" _Milord,_ " Ashiya said, demanding the head of the household's attention again. "I kindly ask you to reconsider your decision regarding that bum."

"Well, the thing is..." Maou began, quickly glancing at Urushihara once more. The half angel seemed annoyed, avoiding looking at the two other males and keeping silent for now. "...The thing is that I'm the one here who makes the decisions," he continued, his voice much stronger now. "He did mess up, but he _sorta-kinda_ made up for it. And that's more than what he normally does. You should give Lucifer some credit," he argued, clearly taking dominance over the conversation.

Ashiya stared for a while before letting out a defeated sigh, backing away from the argument and toward the kitchen.

"Honestly... If that is your decision, Maou-sama, I trust it is the right one..." he said, putting on his apron hung on one of the cabinet doors. Maou took a moment to mentally recover before changing the subject.

"So, Urushihara... What do you think we should do about this new angel?" he suddenly said, turning to the one he was speaking to with a more relaxed attitude now.

"Eh?" the other replied in surprise at the attention given to him, blinking a few times before getting up to his feet. "Could I get my power cord back before we adress that..."

"Do you think you're in a position where you're able to negotiate right now?" Maou asked in disappointment, almost cutting him off mid-sentence.

"Uh..." Urushihara simply responded, clearly retreating before he'd make things worse for himself again. "So... What do you _want_ to do with her? It's not like she's a huge threat to us. Unless you're worried she'll form an alliance with the other angels in Japan."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Maou admitted softly, rubbing his temple with one hand. "Have you not noticed that the forces of our enemies are only growing in strenght, while we remain the same? Not one demon has entered and _stayed_ on this side of the Gate since you," he sighed, clearly agonized over the matter.

"Alright... But what's the point in going after her? She's not strong, her aura didn't indicate so at least," Urushihara retorted, doubting his master.

"Urushihara is right. I don't think she poses a threat to us as she is now. There's no need to focus on diminishing her," Ashiya added, taking his day-to-day 'enemy's' side on this matter.

"Oh, no—I don't intend to "diminish" her. Actually, it's quite the opposite: I want to make her our ally," Maou explained.

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

The two people reacted to this news in a similar manner, both making an airheaded sound as soon as they registered what had been suggested.

"Maou-sama..."

"Maou..."

"Wait, just hear me out!" he cut the both of them off in desperation. "I know it sounds crazy!"

"You're damn right it does! Maou-sama, I don't think you quite realize that _she is an angel_! She's a part of the enemy forces! Not only would it be stupid to try and persuade her, it would be dangerous. Your decisions today are very unproductive," Ashiya argued very matter-of-factly. "Even if a miracle happened and she did decide to join your army, she could still very much be a spy for the enemy forces!"

"She could, I know that, but..." Maou agreed, shifting his gaze between his two subordinates. "It's something Urushihara said."

"Hm?" A short silence followed as the Demon King was trying to convay his message through a simple stare. "Oh!" In time, it did reach the intended goal. "I see... You think you could make _me_ persuade her, right?" Urushihara realized.

"Yes, that's exactly—"

"No way."

"..."

A short, dumbfounded silence followed as Urushihara had straight out denied one of the more serious requests of his king. Maou's face changed from surprise to disappointment to irritation.

"Really, Urushihara, the one time you could make yourself helpful..." he began, only to be cut off by the Fallen Angel.

"Ah, no, it's not because I'm lazy this time. I just agree with Ashiya. You've gone mad. You're trying to sacrifice way too much for way too little – you should understand that."

"But... I told you already, our forces are weak! You told me that she was not only non immune to your orders, but that she wasn't sure of her standings in the war. _In other words,_ she hasn't picked a side. And who knows, she could be useful in some way," Maou defended, really trying to get his plan through to his generals.

"I'll let that remark about me and the housewife being weak fly by, but... How do you intend to know you can trust this girl? You seem so sure about it," Urushihara questioned. "Also, how do you think Emilia and Bell will react? It'll not be pretty once they realize you're recruiting."

"We'll figure it out. I don't intend to just introduse myself and let—uh, Wakahisa-san into our troops, of course not. We need some confirmation about what kind of a person she is first," Maou reassured.

"Milord, how do you intend to do that?" Ashiya asked, also unsure about what would happen next. Maou only offered his roommates a wide grin, indicating that he believed had gotten his will.

.

.

.

After walking for some time, she finally reached the adress she had been invited to. With a deep breath, she studied the old building and checked her phone for the adress again. It was the right place, no doubt about it – Urushihara _had_ said that it was easy to recognize.

She headed up the stairs of the apartment house, immediately noting how old and worn they were. She held onto the railing tightly until she made it to the top. Then she entered the building, studying the hallway she was presented with. The inside of the building looked just as old as the outside.

She shook her head, getting back to what she was doing. There were only two doors in the hallway, and the first one had the number she was looking for – 201.

 _Alright, I'm just going to ring the doorbell... It'll be fine,_ she thought, mentally preparing herself for what would come. She played with the hem of her loose, white top before having gathered enough courage to press the little button next to the door. She heard the sound of footsteps from inside, and the door opened.

* * *

"Why is _she_ here..." Urushihara said in an open protest as he glared at Maou, who was currently playing with his daughter.

"Urushihara-san, isn't that a bit rude to say about Yusa-san?" Chiho immediately commented, not even letting Maou explain. "I don't see why she couldn't visit here."

"...For one, because she's the Hero and we are demons..." Urushihara muttered under his breath, but rolled his eyes and turned back to his computer. "But, Maou, isn't it a bit unsafe to ask her here if you intend to recr—"

Urushihara was quickly shut up by Ashiya, who had suspciously jumped from the other side of the room to cover the large mouth of the NEET. The boy looked shocked to say the least, and Ashiya leaned in to whisper aggressively into his ear.

" _Maou-sama thought that the girl would feel threatened entering a house with three demons, so he made arrangements so that Emilia would be here when she arrives_..."

"What are you two freaks whispering about? You're weirding me out," Emi commented in a snarky tone and crossed her arms. Ashiya quickly released his grip on the struggling angel, who gladly took in the air he was allowed.

"Next time you do something like that, you'll lose your hand!" he threatened in an annoyed tone. "Anyway, even if Emilia's presence is explained, why on Earth is Sasaki Chiho here...?!"

"I came here to help with dinner," Chiho replied, sighing in a tired manner. "Really, Urushihara-san... What is your problem today?"

"Suzuno will also be joining us later," Maou cut in before Urushihara could throw one of his sarcastic comebacks. "Right now she's doing some shopping, I think."

" _Great_ , we'll _all_ be _here_..." Urushihara rolled his eyes to add to the sarcastic tone.

"Suzu-neecha~~~~!" Alas=Ramus exclaimed when there was a ring of the doorbell, expecting it to be their neighbour.

"I'll get it, Maou-sama," Ashiya said as he already had strode over to the door with his long legs. He opened it, greeting the guest with a surprised expression. "Wakahisa-san, you're early."

The female with white hair greeted him with an awkward smile and shifted her gaze to the floor for a moment. She was wearing a pair of short shorts and a light, white summer top. Her hair was on a thick braid that laid against her back.

"I was expecting it to take longer for me to find here... I hope you don't mind..." she replied.

"Oh, I se—"

Then, a moment of silence followed. The demon and the angel had suddenly started to stare at each other, their expressions completely frozen. The rest of the people inside Castle Overlord looked curiosly toward the wordless exchange.

"You..."

"You..."

When they realized that they had indeed met before, the other's heart nearly stopped when the other one's started beating rapidly out of sheer anger. Ashiya was the one to break the awkward silence.

"YOU _ARE_ THE ONE WHO STOLE FROM ME!" he exclaimed in anger, pointing toward the girl who backed away by a large step. "Now that I think about it, I did stop to think about how you looked suspicious!" he yelled in realization as different emotions were presented to her through his expression.

"I—I—I..." the female was reduced to a stuttering mess.

"Wait... For reals?" Maou put down the child he was playing with in order to take a proper look at the situation. Though he was fuming with anger, Ashiya made way to his King, a serious expression never leaving his face. Maou also seemed to freeze for half a second, as he also recognized the female.

"Y—you? You work at Hatagaya MgRonald's, don't you?" Hana asked when she also recognized the man standing in front of him. "Huh? This is insane..." she quickly muttered to herself, full of disbelief.

"I thought it might've been you, to be honest," Maou admitted as a soft smile appeared on his lips. "So... What's this about you _stealing_ from my roommate?" he asked, the soft smile still on his lips, but this time seeming a bit more threatening. Hana swallowed and took another half a step backwards.

"Uh... Eh... That... I was..." she stuttered, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation. "I'm sorry," she eventually gave in, slumping down into a bow and hoping it would be enough to sort away the awkwardness of the situation.

"Your apology is NOT accepted! Most definitely not!" Ashiya replied angrily, the girl shooting up into a proper standing position. Her face was completely red.

"Then... How about I pay you back..."

" _Double_ ," Ashiya demanded.

"You..." the girl muttered under her breath. She let out a frustrated sigh, as the situation experienced a slight change of tone. " _Fine then_ , have your money!" she agreed in a pissed off manner as she found 1000 yen from her purse and handed it over. Ashiya snatched it with a satisfied stare.

"...1000 yen..." Maou muttered to himself in disappointment as he stared at the coins in Ashiya's hand. Then he turned back to their newest guest. "Now that that is dealt and over with... Would you like to come inside and put this behind us?"

Ashiya was slightly dissatisfied about how easily Maou would give into the angel, but did not present his worry right away. Instead he quietly went back inside.

Hana nodded, giving a sigh of relief before following Maou inside the apartment. She took off her sneakers and placed her bag onto the floor near the door. When she turned to the other people in the room, she was met with pairs of curious eyes.

"H-hello," she stuttered a bit since she was the center of attention. "I've already met the rest of you..." she stated a bit awkwardly as she looked through the different faces.

"Right, it's nice to see you again," Emi said a bit warily. "Go ahead and sit down, even if the place is crappy."

"Hey! Don't you talk about our home like that, Hero!" Ashiya barked.

"When Bell gets here, we can get started with the dinner... Before that, just make yourself as comfortable as you can," Emi continued, ignoring the Demon General completely. Hana followed the exhange with a worried expression before taking a seat at the table.

As soon as she did, she noticed the little toddler with white hair and a purple stroke going across it. The little girl was staring at her, seemingly undecisive about something. Hana blinked as she looked at her. She recognized the girl as a Yesod fragment.

"How did—"

She was cut off before she could ask.

"Don't wike the angew~~~~~!" the little girl said angrily as she ran over to the white haired girl, who jumped a bit when the toddler got close. Alas=Ramus shook her head. "Don't wike hew~~~~!" she exclaimed, running over to her adoptive mother and tugging the sleeve of her shirt. "Mama~~~ No angew~~~~!"

Hana let out a sigh and placed a hand over her forehead.

"You should've warned me that there was a Yesod fragment here... That explains the presence of the other angels," she said calmly.

That simple sentence already caused confusion among the five people.

The atmosphere was broken by another ring of the doorbell. Ashiya went over to the door as soon as the sound was heard and let in the last person missing.

"...Did I arrive at a bad time?" Suzuno asked as she placed down two large bags of food. She had immediately taken note of the still slightly tense atmosphere.

"Nah, it's as good a timing as any," Maou said before sitting down at the table with the girls.

"I'll help you with the groceries, Suzuno-san," Chiho said happily before making her way to the inquisitor. Emi's emerald green eyes moved from her unhappy daughter to Hana.

"I though you said you didn't have a power position in Heaven... But yet you're aware of the Tree of Life," she said a bit unsurely of what she had heard. "So is that..."

"...Common knowledge?" Hana ended the sentence. "Quite so. Why do you ask?"

"Well..." Emi was a bit short on words all of a sudden. That was rare for her, but as usual, she quickly adapted back to her self-assertive temperament. "That bum near the computer used to be an archangel... But yet he didn't know about any of that when we first talked about it." Emi shifted her suspicious gaze to the Fallen Angel at question.

"..." Urushihara had been struck quiet – well, more quiet than he had previously been – by Emi's comment. He quickly glanced toward Hana, seemingly thinking about something, before turning his eyes to the floor and giving a troubled look.

"I mean, I guess... Uh..." Hana had also been quieted down by that notion as she tried to assert logic to the situation. The suspence was cut off by Maou.

"There's probably an explanation, but right now we should get started on dinner," he said in a relaxed tone. He had noticed the reaction of Urushihara, and didn't want his guests to pressure him for answers he might not have had.

"You mean we need to get started on dinner while you play with Alas=Ramus," Suzuno, who had been planning what to make with Ashiya and Chiho, commented. Maou could only let out a chuckle and pick up the little girl near Emi.

"Papa~~~~ Angew bad~~~~!" she warned, her anger seemingly having turned to worry. Her eyes were almost watering by now.

"Eh—It's okay, Alas=Ramus! See, the angel is not doing anything bad. She's just here for dinner," Maou assured. The toddler sniffed, still unsure about the girl at the table.

"Excuse me... I know it's a bit awkward to bring up at this point, but... You're the Demon King, right?" Hana questioned a bit awkwardly as she had noticed she didn't know most of the names of the people present.

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Maou laughed it off. "Sorry I didn't introduse myself right away. You can address me as Maou Sadao." The angel seemed a bit cautious, but nodded. The presence of Emi and Suzuno reassured her a lot.

"Then... You must be Alciel," she said as she turned to look toward the tall blond cooking with his two 'assistants'.

"Ashiya Shiro here," he corrected in a slightly angered tone. He was still carrying a grudge toward the one who stole from him. Hana disregarded it for the moment and turned to the last person she didn't know.

"And you are..." she asked the kimono wearing woman, looking her up and down. She was aware that the woman was an inquisitor, but her name was still a mystery.

"You can call me Kamazuki Suzuno. I am in your care, Wakahisa-dono," the small woman said gently, even giving her a slight bow. Hana held back a frown. Even her speech was strange.

"It's surprising that you would actually join a dinner with the King of Demons," Emi said calmly, letting out a breath as she did. "What made you come over?"

"Fear," Hana admitted with an awkward smile. "Though now that I am here, all of you don't seem so scary at all."

"Oh... Is that so," Emi replied a bit awkwardly, surprised at her assumed honesty. "Well, Maou here really isn't much of a threat the way he is, so you really have nothing to worry about."

"I am plenty threat if I want to be," Maou complained, interrupting his time with Alas=Ramus.

"Keep telling yourself that, maybe one day it'll come true," Emi mocked and leaned her elbows on the table.

About an hour passed like that, with Chiho, Suzuno and Ashiya making dinner, while Emi and Hana would awkwardly chat at the table. Sometimes they were joined by Maou commenting on something Alas=Ramus did or a sarcastic comment from Urushihara. However, at one point the dinner was ready and served, everyone besides Urushihara earning a place at the table.

"Really... How do you never manage to make me room if, now that there's an extra person here, there's enough room for her?!"

Hana could only offer him a troubled smile.

"Itadakimasu!" Maou exclaimed before starting to gather food on his plate. Everyone else was quick to follow.

"It's delicious!" Chiho cheered when her tongue came into contact with the cookings of Ashiya and Suzuno. She could mostly just watch what they did and offer an aiding hand when needed, since they were more talented when it came to cooking.

They had made Chahan, _fried rice_ , a recipe that was originally from China. The dish they had prepared consisted of rice, peas, onions, eggs and pork with some mild seasonings. They had leftover rice from some previous meals, but since there were guests over, they actually needed to cook some extra for dinner.

"This really _is_ delicious," Hana agreed with a smile. She had been surprised that she enjoyed the food, since she tended to be picky a lot of the time.

"I humbly thank the both of you," Suzuno replied quite happily. Ashiya didn't have much of a reaction, though he did flash a smile that was mostly meant for Chiho.

"Wah~~~~ Yummy food~~~~" Alas=Ramus cheered when Emi fed her the dish. The magenta haired girl smiled and pet her daughter's hair. Emi had put the onions aside, since the taste would've been too strong for a small child.

When everyone was done eating, Suzuno went over to wash dishes with the help of Chiho. Hana almost offered to help out of good manners, but he was denied by Chiho before she could say anything. She didn't want a new 'friend' to bother herself with it.

"It's kind of late... I need to get going soon. Was there something in particular you wanted to talk to me about, Maou-san?" Hana asked as she was already shifting her position so she could quickly stand up and head out.

"Eh, no, we all just wanted to meet you..." he spoke in a slightly evading manner and stood up, offering to help Hana into a standing position. The girl took his hand, though shyly, and got to her feet.

"I need to go as well, so let me leave along with you," Chiho called and put away the last dish they were cleaning.

"I'll go with you," Emi added and picked up Alas=Ramus. "Suzuno, are you gonna stay over?" The petite woman shook her head gracefully.

"I'll return to my own apartment as well."

"So all the girls are leaving... Finally," Urushihara muttered to himself, only to earn a quiet glare from Maou for his bad habits. Because of that remark, he decided to tease the boy a little.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to your date?" Maou grinned and leaned a bit closer to Urushihara. The Fallen Angel felt his cheeks heat up at the other's comment.

"Fuck off," he said in a slightly embarrased tone. Hana laughed awkwardly as she and the rest of the women poured out of the tiny room.

"See you at work, Maou-san!" Chiho exclaimed before heading out with the others.

The room was filled with momentary silence as the seemingly most noisy people had left and the conversation had died down. The three demons enjoyed the peace for a moment before starting to chat again.

"What do you think, Maou-sama...?" Ashiya asked warily.

"I think... She seems nice," Maou admitted, shrugging. "A bit shy, but nice."

"Really, _that's_ what you got out of that?" Urushihara commented in a judgeful tone.

"Maou-sama, she stole from us... _For whatever reason_. Not only that, she seems very unstable to me. I guess it's a thing with angels..." Ashiya said the last part while looking at Urushihara from the corner of his eye. The boy noticed it and glared back at him.

"I thought it was funny she took your money," Urushihara mocked, clearly amused.

"Of course _you_ would think that," Ashiya said with narrowed eyes.

"Well, regardless of what our first impressions were, we know almost nothing about her. Better not jump to conclusions," Maou said. "For now, we should probably visit the bath house."

"Agreed," Ashiya confirmed.

.

.

.

Emi went her separate way from Chiho and Hana, who would be walking into the same direction for a bit. While they were doing just that, Chiho started up some small talk.

"How did you like Maou-san and his roommates?" the cheery girl asked with sincere curiosity.

"Eh, they are a strange bunch, to be demons I mean... But I suppose they're not as bad as I feared," Hana replied. "But, Sasaki-san, I was surprised to find out you know about Ente Isla. I thought they would keep it a secret from everyone."

"I found out by accident, and asked Maou-san not to erase my memory," she admitted.

"Oh, I see. So that's why," she smiled. "Sorry, Sasaki-san, I have to turn here."

"I'm aware... But Wakahisa-san should call me by my first name," Chiho suggested as the two girls stopped into the intersection for a moment.

"So then it'd be... Chiho-chan," Hana tried out the name. "It was surprisingly nice meeting your friends, _Chiho-chan_."

"I hope you'll visit them again," the younger girl said happily. "See you at school."

"Likewise."

And with that, the two girls also went their separate ways. The wind blowed gently and played with their summer clothing in the ever darkening evening. The light that touched over Tokyo and it's various buildings, was quickly fading away, only so it could shine over them the next morning.

* * *

 **Sorry it's been a while, I have no excuse... XD I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a review! :)**


	9. Chapter 9 - A Surprising Win

Chapter 9 – A Surprising Win

Chiho was in her home, in the kitchen, and packing a home made bento into her school bag. Her father was at the table drinking coffee, ready to leave for his job as a police chief. Chiho's mother, Riho Sasaki, was in the house's living room with the intention of starting to vacuum. Since the family lived in a detached house and all of its members were awake, the noise of early cleaning shouldn't bother anyone.

After packing everything, Chiho was ready to leave.

"Have a good day at school, Chiho," her father wished from the table. Chiho backed away into the kitchen doorframe to reply.

"Work hard," she replied with a smile. After that she left and began her walk toward Sasahata North highschool, where she visited five times a week for most of the year.

They day passed slowly for the students, since for most of them it was not a fun pastime. Chiho was an exception: She found enjoyment in learning new things about the world, but like any other human being, she also had her limits. Extra homework touched upon one of those limits.

When the school day was finally over, Chiho and her friends left the building together, giggling about many useless things. She returned home the same route she had come to school in the morning, eventually having to say goodbye to her friends. She had no club activities that day, and her afternoon was all open from work as well. She knew exactly how she was going to spend it.

As usual, before entering her house she stopped by their mailbox. She opened it and quickly scanned through the letters – simply to see if any of them happened to be for her – and walked toward her front door as she did.

She entered the Sasaki household, eyes still tightly on the mail as she removed her shoes.

"I'm home!" she called into the house, quickly heading into the kitchen.

"Welcome back!" echoed her mother's voice from somewhere inside the house. Chiho put down the mail onto the kitchen table, only one letter in hand.

"Huh?" she let out a confused sound as she studied the envelope. She ripped it open as neatly as she could, grabbing what was inside. "No way!" she exclaimed in surprise.

.

.

.

"So that's how it is," the head of the demon household, Maou, said as he studied the items placed on their table. "That's pretty good luck, winning these tickets to a baseball match."

"No kidding. I didn't even attend the lottery seriously, I only bought a ticket because the income was going to charity," Chiho explained a little shyly, scratching her lower lip as a sort of nervous habit. "There are so many, I don't even know what to do with all of them... I was actually wondering..."

While Chiho was about to stammer something, Maou shuffled through the tickets to count them.

"There are eight tickets, woah. That really does seem a lot... Kind of a strange amount to have as a reward. If I'm not mistaken, usually these sorts of prices contain two to five tickets," he said.

"Ah, yeah... Actually, I think all of the rewards had some unusual number. I guess they are meant for bigger groups," Chiho responded, a bit hectic upon being interrupted. "That's why I was actually gonna ask if, if Maou-san would like to go..."

"Even if the price would've been for only two people, you would've asked Maou..." Urushihara, who had been quietly on his computer until now, commented. Chiho glanced at him in annoyance, but other then that the two didn't pay any mind to him.

Ashiya was the only demon not currently in the apartment.

"I don't mind coming, but... Even if you invite me, Ashiya, Emi and Suzuno, you still only have five people there," Maou pointed out, his chin leaned into his palm.

"Yes, that's true. I was thinking of asking Suzuki Rika-san to go as well, and if Urushihara-san would leave his laptop for once..." Chiho said, turning to look at the said person in thought.

"No way, I don't know anything about baseball, much less care about it!" the NEET immediately protested, turning toward the table with a displeased expression. It seemed that he did not want to leave his computer even for one day.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," the highschool girl replied in disappointment. "But that leaves me two people short."

"What about Chi-chan's parents?" Maou suggested.

"No, that's not gonna work out... Father's at work next Saturday and mother is going to visit one of my aunts for the weekend." Chiho could've always called her friends from school, but she didn't think the two different groups would get along as well as she hoped. Besides, Emi would be against the idea of bringing more humans near Maou and Ashiya.

"Ah, yeah, when I think about it, I would get too nervous around them anyway—err—I mean, that's too bad," Maou replied, correcting himself when he realized he had said something weird. "I'm guessing Alas=Ramus, being a toddler, won't occupy a ticket."

"Mmh, that's usually how it is..." Chiho confirmed, sighing when it seemed like some of the tickets would go to waste. Maou, immediately noticing her mood, shifted his gaze to the one on the computer.

"Urushihara, you're going with us."

"Huuuuh?! Why do I have to do such a thing?" he whined as a response, reminding them of a child who was forced to visit unknown relatives. "I'll be so bored! I'll whine the whole time, so I'll ruin it for everyone else!" he argued with truths, but that only seemed to annoy Maou.

"Look, I don't want Chi-chan's money to go to waste, and there are still two tickets left. You're coming, whether you want it or not. Besides... On those kinds of baseball arenas, they sell fast food I'll promise to buy for you," Maou replied in annoyance, bargaining with food.

"Wah, Maou-san knows something about baseball?" Chiho was surprised. Though it couldn't be exactly knowing about _baseball_ , it was still part of its culture.

"I've seen an American movie about a bad baseball team trying to make it big. The plot was quite bad, but I caught a lot of things about the sport," Maou explained with a smile.

"Anyway, it's not like you don't bring fast food home all the time anyway. Why would I only come because of that?" Urushihara protested after the exchange between the two other people.

"C'mon! I'll even let you bring your PASTA," Maou continued, almost going into begging mode. Since it had been a while since Urushihara had seen him do that, he was taken aback for a moment. But as usual, the Demon King was going overboard about completely negligible things.

The fallen angel was about to protest, but eventually just sighed, giving in in an argument for once.

"Fine, I'll go... It's not like my computer is gonna grow legs..." he muttered the last part.

"Wait, really?" Maou was now also taken aback.

"Wha, it's settled then!" Chiho clapped. "Only one ticket left." The two people gathered around the table both went into thinking mode. However, soon a realization hit Maou.

"Hey, why not ask Wakahisa Hana-chan?" he suggested, snapping his fingers once.

"I take it back! I'm not coming!" Urushihara shouted, but it went ignored by both of them, again.

"Oh, yeah... She _was_ here just the other day. Maybe she'd like to come," Chiho agreed immediately. "I'll go in the hallway and call her." That said, Chiho stood up, leaving the apartment for a moment. She stood in the short hallway leading to apartments 201 and 202, finding Hana's number from her phone.

The day after she angel had visited Maou's apartment, the girls had run into each other at school. Chiho had used this time to ask for her number, though the latter seemed quite flustered.

"Hello, Wakahisa-san?" Chiho spoke when the beeping ended, signaling that her senpai had answered.

" _Ah, Chiho-chan... Is something wrong?_ " the fact that Hana replied in this manner indicated that the pair had yet to have a regular conversation over the phone.

"No, no! I was just wondering... I have an extra ticket to a baseball match next Saturday, and I was wondering if you'd like to come," the younger girl said, going straight to the point.

" _Saturday? Eh, I think I still have leftover vacation days... I think I could get out of my shift at work._ " The girl seemed slightly reluctant, but Chiho thought it would've been impolite to point it out.

"If it's too much trouble, you don't have to," she said a bit frantically.

" _Nooo, it's fine, it's not like I get out much anyway... Since Chiho-chan specially asked, why wouldn't I come,_ " Hana replied in a similar, frantic tone. The moment felt slightly awkward.

"If you're sure," Chiho eventually replied. "I'll tell you the details later, if that's okay."

" _Yeah, that's perfectly fine. See you on Saturday, Chiho-chan._ "

* * *

Hana put down her phone as the call between her and Chiho came to an end. She sighed before slipping it inside her locker, closing it right after. She was already testing the end limit of her pause at work, so she quickly hurried back inside the store before her manager would realize.

.

.

.

It didn't take long for Saturday to arrive.

Like one would expect, coming from Chiho, everyone had agreed to her invitation. After first gathering in Maou's apartment, Suzuno, Emi, Maou, Ashiya, Urushihara and Chiho were ready to leave. They would meet Rika and Hana at the arena.

Since the stadium wasn't all that close, they had to take a bus ride to it (no matter how much Ashiya complained about the bus tickets' fee). On the way Chiho pointed out many fun things about what and who they were going to see, giving completely new info to many of the Ente Islans. The most curious about this new knowledge was, as usual, Suzuno, who was living in the wrong Japanese era.

The one not at all interested was Urushihara, who was looking out the bus window and trying not to throw up. Because of the heat, his motion sickness affected him even on a trip within the city. The heat also affected everyone else in the bus, and that was part of the reason why Chiho was trying to distract them.

When the trip was over, everyone was glad to get out of the bus, even if Urushihara had been the first to leave it.

"Here we are~" Chiho sang happily, hopping a bit closer to the large stadium.

"I-it's really big," Suzuno commented in amazement. "All this just for a sport?"

Emi was the last to step out the bus, carrying Alas=Ramus with one arm. With her free hand, she was fanning herself with her ticket.

"Uwaah... It's really hot..." she whined. "I wonder where Rika is."

"Mama~~ It's sooo biig!" Alas=Ramus exclaimed cheerily. Though the young girl was struggling, Emi didn't let her go. Because there were so many people, she was worried the girl would get lost in the crowd.

"I'll take her, if you want," Maou said as soon as he noticed Emi was struggling, picking up Alas=Ramus and following the rest of the group toward the main doors.

"Like I asked for your help..." Emi muttered, still fanning herself. Maou either didn't hear, or chose to ignore her.

The group entered the surrounding hallway of the station, walking around in slight awe. The enduring smell of fast food lingered in the air, even if the space was crowded. After ten minutes of looking, they finally found Rika.

"Emi~~!" the coworker of said person cheered when she spotted the redhead, running straight to her.

"Ah, Suzuki-san, wait!"

It seemed that Hana was also there, and the two women had met while waiting for Chiho and the rest.

The girls were all dressed in attractive summer clothing. Emi was wearing a soft yellow summer dress and her long hair was in a ponytail. Rika was wearing a blue dress that looked casual with the necklace she had paired it with. Hana was wearing a grey denim skirt and a tight, black top, though she had unusually paired the outfit with a pair of sneakers... Chiho was wearing a casual pair of shorts and a t-shirt, while Suzuno was wearing one of her lighter colored kimonos.

Maou, Ashiya and Urushihara were all wearing their cheap UNIXLO clothing, since it was still all they could afford. The group looked quite curious together. Alas=Ramus stood out with a bright red summer dress Emi had recently bought to her, making her the spot of focus when looking at them.

They were in the line to get their tickets checked, when some conversation sparked.

"When Chiho-chan first called me, I didn't expect this to be a group thing," Hana admitted in slight embarrasment.

"Ah, you don't mind, do you?" Chiho asked, clearly worried.

"No, it's fine, really. It just came as a bit of a surprise..." She didn't say it, but Hana was actually quite glad it was a bigger group. That meant she could fade into the background and not even exist.

"Maou, you promised me food," Urushihara said. "I've recovered from my motion sickness, so I can eat now."

"Ah, geez... You're such a pain. Fine, let's go then," Maou replied, sighing.

"Hey, Demon King, bring me a soda while you're at it," Emi called nonchalantly.

"Get your own damn soda!" Maou exclaimed at her. Before she could shout something back, Rika interrupted the starting quarrel.

"Emi, I'd actually like some fries too..." she cut in casually, not even minding Emi's mood.

"Ah, is that so? Then, I'll go get some for you. You should go and find our seats with the rest of us," Emi replied, her mood completely changed when she spoke to Rika. It was like the hostility was never there to begin with.

"I believe the arena is this way," Ashiya commented as he grabbed Rika's shoulder, making the girl's face turn red.

"A—ah, yeah, it seems to be so...!" she exclaimed in embarrasment for her blushing, rushing to the head of what was left of the group.

"Geez... What am I gonna do with you, Rika..." Emi muttered to herself as she studied the back of the girl.

"Are you coming, Emi?" Maou called, distracting Emi from her current thoughts.

"Oh, yeah... Coming," she replied, following the King of Demons to a food stand.

* * *

"Here's your order. Enjoy!" the girl behind the counter sang in a practised melody, handing out all the food and drinks Maou and Emi had bought in paper bags.

"Thank you, have a good day," Maou replied, smiling, before the pair and their 'daughter' left the front of the line. It took a moment for them to locate Urushihara, who had already started playing with his gaming console.

"Let's head out, yeah?" Emi said, taking the lead. It seemed like she was saving her energy for the rest of the day, since she had been mellow for the most of the morning.

The three people didn't get far before Emi realized Alas=Ramus and the second paper bag had been dumped into her arms. She was stunned when she turned to Maou, ready to snap at him for suddenly doing something like that, but then she noticed what he was doing.

"Are you lost?"

The man was kneeled on the floor, in front of a child not much older than Alas=Ramus. The little boy was in tears, large brown eyes glazed as he looked up at the stranger.

"I can't find my mommy..." he sobbed shyly, rubbing tears from the corners of his eyes. Like expected, a child had gotten separated from his parents in the big crowd.

"Hey, don't cry. I'll help you find her," Maou promised, smiling warmly. "Emi, Urushihara, you two go ahead. I'll join you later."

"Wha..." Emi couldn't get a word out of her mouth.

"Papa come later~?" Alas=Ramus asked in confusion.

"Yeah, Alas=Ramus. It can't be helped. I'll be right there, so don't worry." Maou was still smiling. His smile hadn't changed, it was still as charming and warm as it had always been. However, instead of pissing Emi off, instead of confusing her... It made her feel, well, _strange_.

She was so stunned by this developement, she couldn't even respond. She could only stare at Maou's back like she had stared at Rika's, feeling her heart pound against her chest. When he had seen the King of Demons kneel down next to that little boy, she hadn't felt angry... She hadn't even thought he might do something horrible to him. She simply felt... Warm.

"Emilia?"

Urushihara's voice snapped her back into reality.

 _Agh, what's wrong with me?! It... Must be the heat. Yeah._ She let out a frustrated breath as she headed toward the stadium. _It's the heat. It absolutely can not be the fact that I thought of him as a gentle person for a moment... It's the heat, plus the teary eyes of that child. That's all._

When Emi and Urushihara entered the stadium, even the latter became breathless for a moment. The stadium was absolutely _huge_ , much bigger than it seemed on TV. The crowd was really noisy, and the well kept baseball field looked quite magnificent.

"Come, NEET, let's find the others," Emi said while nudging the demon the the right direction.

"..." Urushihara only gave her an irritated stare as they looked for their seats. It was clear he did not like the fact that the place was full of people. He didn't exactly know how to push through the crowd 'politely', and whenever someone formed eye contact with him, he directed his faze straight to the ground.

After looking for some time, they did find their seats, and everyone besides Maou were waiting for them.

"Whoaaa! So many people~!" Alas=Ramus exclaimed. She was placed in Emi's lap as she took her seat.

They were sitting in one of the middle rows, and even if the stadium didn't have a roof, it was incredibly hot – probably even hotter than inside the bus. Half of them were already sweating.

Ashiya, Suzuno and Maou would be seated to the far right of the group, while Emi, Rika and Chiho occupied the middle. The far left consisted of Hana and finally, Urushihara. Maybe someone in the group had plotted the seating order with mean spirits, for Urushihara wasn't all too happy about sitting next to his former 'date'.

"It's about to start! Where's Maou-san?" Chiho asked in concern. The players of the two teams were already beginning to enter the playing field.

"Whaaat? But we arrived an hour early! How could it already be starting?" Urushihara questioned in disbelief.

"Urushihara-san, in these sorts of big events time passes much faster than usual. That's exactly _why_ we arrived early," Rika explained coolly.

"Whaa!" Chiho let out a happy squeal for an unknown reason.

"Ano... Chiho-chan, is something wrong?" Hana asked, being the one to sit next to her. Chiho shook her head.

"No, I'm just... I'm just happy the whole group is out together, that's all," the redhead informed.

* * *

"About time you get here," Emi snapped when Maou pushed his way into his seat. The game had just begun, and the first hits had been made.

"Where were you, Maou-sama?" Ashiya asked in sincere curiosity. "And where did you get that soda from? I thought I told you not to spend extra..."

"Aah, no, I didn't spend anything on it..." Maou assured. "I was helping this child find his mother and asked a member of the stadium's staff to look for her through the intercom." His story was interrupted for a second because Alas=Ramus crawled unceremoniously into his lap. "When they were finally reunited, the mother went on and on and ended up buying me this drink."

"As usual, Maou-sama is doing honorable deeds," Ashiya stated proudly, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Geez..." Emi rolled her eyes, refusing to awknowledge the truth. _He's the Demon King,_ she shortly reminded herself. She was only shaken from her negative mood when she spotted the wide smile on Chiho's face.

"WHOAAAAAAAAAAA!" the crowd suddenly went wild as one of the players hit a home run so soon in the game.

* * *

It was half time in the game, and a third of the audience got up and headed to buy more snacks or use the bathroom. Some of 'group Maou' were also planning to do just that, but waited for their turn to get through the crowd.

"Hmm, the game is getting pretty interesting," Maou commented. "Ne?"

"Yeah, who would've known the home team is taking a beating in their own stadium... But I think they still have hope to make it after half time is over," Chiho replied in thought.

"Wah? Oh, the losing team is the home team... I guess I was rooting for the wrong one," Emi commented in slight embarrasment. The group really wasn't too into baseball, with the apparent exception of Chiho and, surprisingly, Maou.

"Really, Emi..." Rika giggled. "You're so cute saying that." After making that comment, Rika joined in on the baseball conversation between Maou and Chiho. She, too, seemed to be into the sport.

"Most of the crowd near us has left now. We should head to the bathrooms before they come back," Ashiya suggested, interrupting the conversation going on.

"Yeah, agreed," Maou confirmed. That said, Maou, Ashiya, Rika and Emi all stood up, ready to leave. "Anyone else?" Maou asked around. When no one else seemed to be leaving, he handed out Alas=Ramus to Suzuno. "Hope you don't mind watching her for a bit."

"Suzu-neecha~!"

"Of course not," Suzuno replied calmly as she took the toddler into her lap. Before they knew it, half the group was gone.

"I hope they find back here..." Hana joked to fill the short silence that had occurred. Suzuno mostly focused on playing with Alas=Ramus, but replied anyway.

"They will. All of the people who left are quite perceptive."

"Do you mind if I check my phone?" Being polite as usual, Chiho asked before even reaching for her phone.

"No, not at all, go ahead," Hana assured, waving her hands frantically. The girl smiled at her before taking out her phone.

While there was more silence, Hana didn't quite know what to do. She was the stranger in the group, and had most likely been asked only to fill a plastic seat. She didn't have much to say, and even if she did, she was all too shy to do so. So, when she found herself getting bored, her gaze wondered to her right, where Urushihara was deeply focusing on his PASTA.

"W... What are you playing?" she asked shyly, peeking at his screen. There was no answer, so the girl pouted for a second.

Minutes passed, and suddenly Chiho stood up, startling the girl next to her.

"I think I need to use the restroom as well after all," she sighed. "I'll be right back," she continued, smiling before she struggled to move away from the three (and a half) people left.

"She shouldn't have chugged that huge cup of coke..." Urushihara muttered to himself. Since Hana was sitting next to him, she heard him quite clearly.

"Woah, you can talk..." she said sarcastically. The boy glanced at her from the corner of his eye before going back to his game. Hana let out a sigh. "I don't care much for baseball, but I came here since Chiho-chan was the one to ask... Not that I have anything better to do."

"Oh? I was forced to go." Surprisingly, the fallen angel decided to respond this time around.

"You don't look too unhappy," Hana chuckled. "You have your fries and your gaming console... And your... Chicken..." she paused for a moment. "I hope you know you should never get chicken on a hot day. It spoils too easily."

"Pfft, you worry too much," Urushihara assured smugly. "It's not like I'm gonna die or anything. Also, I am not happy. It's super hot and loud. I'd much rather be at home, where I have a fan..." He shifted in his seat, demonstrating his discomfort.

"Is that so?" Hana questioned him openly. "...Uwah, you're right. It _is_ super hot..." she eventually whined. "Why on Earth did I decide to wear a black top?" She grabbed the front of her shirt with two fingers and separated the fabric from her sticky skin.

"Whahahaha~!" the laugh of a toddler was heard from Suzuno's direction. Hana gazed at the child shortly.

"You know... I've never really liked kids..." she admitted in a low voice, not wanting Suzuno or Alas=Ramus to catch what she said.

"Oh?" Urushihara's eyes were on the screen of his console, but he seemed to be paying at least a little bit of attention. "Why?" he asked with no interest in his tone.

"I guess I just feel like a kid myself. It's hard to be around and actual one..." she explained anyway, sighing and shrugging. "However, Alas=Ramus, not being a normal child... Well, I guess I'm fine with her." She didn't notice it, but Urushihara had paused his game for a few seconds to study the girl's expression. When she looked back toward him, his eyes were already back on the game.

* * *

Eventually the two demons and three humans returned to their seats. The whole group watched the game, and toward the ending it had gotten really intriguing. Even Urushihara glanced at it once in a while.

The visiting team had been about to win toward the end, but the home team suddenly made a huge end spurt. They had won by a thread, causing the stadium to go absolutely wild like they hadn't before.

After the game everyone felt exhausted – Alas=Ramus had actually fallen asleep, even though there was a lot of noise. Now the group was outside the stadium, and since it had gotten a bit more windy, they weren't as hot as before. Emi was grabbing at the light hem of her dress for decency's sake.

"I'm really happy Chiho-chan invited us. It was a really intense game," Rika spoke energetically even though she was worn out.

"Wah! I'm happy you liked it, Suzuki-san!" Chiho replied just as energetically. It seemed the two girls had become slightly closer over the day.

It would still take a while before their buses would arrive, so they had to hang around for some time.

Emi, still not being too into baseball, had left Maou, Chiho, Rika and Ashiya to discuss amongst themselves. She was sitting on a nearby bench with Suzuno, Alas=Ramus in her lap. From where they were sitting, they noticed Urushihara and Hana were chatting not too far away.

"Though Lucifer acts like he's annoyed by her, he seems to appreciate the positive attention," Emi commented tiredly.

"I've noticed the same thing. But then again, he does get it quite rarely. It shouldn't be too surprising," Suzuno replied. Emi frowned at that for some reason.

"I don't like her," she admitted, her eyes shifting to Suzuno.

"Hm? Why is that?" the shorter girl asked, genuinely surprised. "She has done nothing to appear like a threat, and gets along with Chiho-dono."

"I know, I just..." Emi glanced at the sleeping form of Alas=Ramus. "Maybe it's just a mother's instinct..."

"Mother's instinct...?" Suzuno wasn't sure she had heard right. Though Emi was the adoptive mother of Alas=Ramus, she had never distinctively heard Emi refer to herself as a mother. At least not if there wasn't a benefit to her.

"Yeah, sounds silly, right?" Emi chuckled. "I just don't like the way she looks at Alas."

"Hmm...?" Suzuno averted her eyes from Emi, looking back at Hana. She was laughing at something, seemingly not as shy as she was in groups. Surprisingly, she also seemed to enjoy Urushihara's company.

"Our bus is here!" Maou suddenly called. Suzuno and Urushihara headed to the rest of the group, while Emi, Rika and Hana were left behind. Though Emi had arrived in the same bus as Maou and the rest, she wouldn't be going to their place, but Rika's. So the three people were taking a different bus back.

Suzuno was the last to step inside the bus. Chiho had picked a window seat, and Suzuno sat next to her.

 _Today has been a lively day..._ she thought. Only now she realized how exhausting it had been for her as well. _I've noticed how this group has become more compact. Whether it's a good thing or not, I'm not sure... However, the new person, Wakahisa Hana-dono..._ Suzuno glanced past Chiho and out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of the person in her thoughts. _It's hard to tell what exactly she is adding to the mix._

The bus engine hummed and alerted Suzuno from her thoughts. Before she knew it, the bus was moving, and an unhappy groan was heard from Urushihara.

" _The chicken was a mistake..._ " he muttered.

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter took a while. ._. I have _no_ excuse. Now here's my excuse. I wasn't all that inspired. XD Anyway...**

 **Hope you like filler, because this was mostly just that. It has the tiniest bit of character developement slipped in the mix tho. Please drop a review. :3**


	10. Chapter 10 - Changes

Chapter 10 – Changes

She closed the last cardboard box and taped it over, then sighed. Now that they were fitted into four cardboard boxes, it was clear how little things Hana actually owned. She fell back to her bare mattress and stared at the ceiling of her modest dormitory room.

"I can't believe it's finally over," she mumbled to herself as she sighed a second time. The moving van would be there at any minute now.

She absent-mindedly glanced at the second empty bed in the room. Her roommate had already moved out her stuff and said her goodbyes. It felt lonely in the mostly white space, but in a weird way, Hana enjoyed it.

.

.

.

"...It's _unacceptable_!" Emi exclaimed in displeasure as her previously folded arms opened and flailed toward the ceiling.

"Please, Emilia, let's not exaggerate..." Suzuno tried to cut in softly, a drop of sweat on her temple. She was seated at her apartment's kotatsu table, while Emi had stood up in her anger and was now trotting around the room.

"But she said she wanted _nothing_ to do with us! Yet now she's moving to Sasazuka?! She's clearly conspiring with Maou!" she spat in anger.

"Really, I don't think that's it..." Suzuno waved it off easily. "It most likely doesn't mean anything... You must understand that her workplace is near here."

"Yeah, but..." Emi began, but cut herself off. "Wait, woah? Did she... Possibly get a fulltime job at that clothing store? I mean, that's pretty good for someone straight out of highschool."

"She told Chiho-dono that she did, yes. Apparently the two have been chatting a lot lately," Suzuno said, then sipped tea from her cup.

"And Chiho-chan didn't tell me anything?" Emi worried. "I don't think that's a good idea at all! She might get hurt as a result of this. She's always in danger because of us, and now she's talking to angels on her own..." she continued, finally seating herself at the table.

"Emilia, I believe we must trust Chiho-dono's intuition. She's smarter than you give her credit for," Suzuno insisted in a more serious tone. "You can't mix your own personal feelings into their relationship."

"I... I _guess_ , but..." Emi clenched her fists. She still couldn't bring herself to trust Hana. Whenever she tried to, images of Sariel or Gabriel or even Lucifer, or any of the other angels popped into her head. _They_ weren't trustworthy, that was for sure – why would _she_ be any different?

While they were in momentary silence, sounds of a toddler laughing came from next door. As it was, Emi was visiting Suzuno so that Alas=Ramus could spend time at Maou's.

Then, a ring of the doorbell interrupted the quiet moment.

"Oh, I'll get it," Suzuno said and stood up, dusting off her kimono as she did. She then headed for the door and opened it slightly to see who had rang the doorbell. Her eyes widened in surprise and she opened the door all the way. "Hana-dono? I'm surprised to see you here," she said, blinking.

"I'm not bothering you, am I?" the girl asked a little unsurely and grabbed the hem of her summer top as a nervous habit.

"No, not at all!" Suzuno quickly shook her head and tried to relieve the other's discomfort. "Please, come in." She stepped aside and allowed Hana to enter the apartment. She quickly removed her shoes and then entered farther.

"Oh, it's Yusa-san. I haven't seen you since the baseball game," she greeted in surprise.

"Mmh, yeah..." Emi didn't exactly know how to respond to her as of now. "A-ah, it's nice to see you again..." she said, attempting to sound polite. It was unknown whether Hana caught onto the effort or not.

"So, what brings you over?" Suzuno asked as she finally pushed the door closed and walked over to the kitchen counters. "And would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please," the angel responded with a smile. "I just came by to tell you that I'm moving nearby."

"Yes, we heard from Chiho-dono already," Suzuno replied, also smiling, as she poured some hot water into a cup for Hana. "Your apartment is only a few blocks from Villa Rosa, yes?"

"Yeah, you can kind of see it from your window... Well, the corner at least," Hana chuckled as she stepped over to the window and pointed toward her apartment building. "It's more western styled than this place, though."

"So then it's more like Emilia's apartment?" Suzuno asked, placing the cup with a teabag on the table. Then she sat down on her previous spot.

"Yusa-san lives in a western styled apartment?" Hana asked before seating herself at the table as well. Each woman had their own side of the kotatsu, Suzuno's back facing the back window while Emi's faced the door.

"Yeah, but as you know, I don't live in Sasazuka," Emi replied coolly as she sipped her tea.

"Mmh, yeah..." Hana replied a little awkwardly - she _did_ notice Emi's slight coldness after all. She then proceeded to sip her tea as well. "It's not really like me to just go visit someone out of the blue, you know? I guess I was just really bored after getting my apartment in order."

"We should come visit sometime," Suzuno suggested.

"Yeah, you can, even though I don't have much space... Also, I can't get chairs until I've gotten my next salary. So I'd prefer you'd wait a week or two," Hana replied.

* * *

She took a deep breath, and held her finger just over the doorbell. She was hesitant to press it, and an uncertain expression grew onto her features. Eventually she pulled her finger away, her face flushing even though no one could see her.

 _Aghh, what am I thinking?! I can't just visit someone's house unannounced! Especially not this house. Gah!_ She mentally yelled at herself, backing away from the door, her back almost meeting the opposite wall of the hallway. _But then again, I did come this far..._

She took a deep breath, _again_ , multiple breaths in fact. Then she stepped back behind the door, her finger once again almost touching the doorbell. Her lips drew into a straight line as she stared at the button.

Thirty seconds must've passed, and it felt like an hour to her. Eventually she backed away, face still completely red, and retracted from the door.

 _That was such a stupid idea! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ She mentally exclaimed. _If it were Chiho-chan, sure I could go ring on her doorbell... But, not his. This is so very stupid!_ She then proceeded to storm to the other end of the hallway, glancing at the other door she was also thinking of trying.

Before, she had intended to visit apartment 201, which belonged to Maou, Ashiya and Urushihara. However, due to her immense shyness, Hana couldn't bring herself to do it. She came to think that, if it were Suzuno's apartment she was going to, things wouldn't be so awkward...

"Hana-dono? I'm surprised to see you here."

...So that's the doorbell she ended up ringing.

The meeting felt slighty awkward at first, though she did feel relieved that she was welcomed into the apartment without hostility. She took it as a good sign, even if Emi almost unnoticably gave her doubtful looks. It was also apparent that the pinkette was avoiding conversing with her, which made her feel more and less confident at the same time.

She wasn't exactly sure how, but at some point while drinking tea with Suzuno and Emi (who was, indeed, visiting, as she had deduced from the toddler sounds) the conversation came to a point, where a visit to the demons' apartment was decided.

"Eh? We're going next door?" Hana asked in surprise of the sudden decision.

"Yeah, I guess I can stand Maou for some time... I'm starting to miss Alas=Ramus, you know. Besides, I need to leave soon anyway, so why not," Emi explained, barely glancing at Hana while she did. She stood up and gathered her things, ready to leave the apartment. "Are you coming, Suzuno-chan? I don't really wanna go if you're not coming."

"Mmh, that is my intention, yes. Maybe Alciel needs some help with the housework..." she thought the last part out loud. Emi frowned at that slightly.

"You shouldn't still help them around. It's weird," she said casually, already grabbing the door handle, even though Suzuno and Hana weren't ready to leave. Suzuno was still putting away the tea cups, while Hana was picking up her phone and putting on her shoes.

"Ano... It's probably weird if I come too..." the purple eyed girl pointed out a little shyly.

"No, there's no need for you to leave, Hana-dono. If you're going to live here, you're going to come into contact with all of us anyway. You might as well get along with everyone," Suzuno said softly, even smiling a little. However, Emi didn't seem to agree.

"Suzuno-chan..." she said doubtingly, but didn't press the issue further. She clearly wasn't sure what Suzuno's logic in the matter was – her _actual_ logic, not the one she was openly presenting.

"Well, I mean..." Hana stumbled, a little too unsure to deny. Besides, it was the demons' apartment she had intended to enter at first.

"Then, let's go keep them company," Suzuno said, still smiling mysteriously, and guickly exited the apartment, leading the group next door.

Emi was the one to ring the doorbell, a bored expression on her face when it opened and revealed Ashiya's face.

"Yo, we're coming in..." she announced casually as she made her way into the apartment. Suzuno followed after her, but Hana lingered in the doorway.

"You should be more courteous, Emilia... Ah, I don't have the energy for this. I see Kamazuki is with you. And... Oh, Wakahisa-san?" Ashiya spoke in genuine surprise. There seemed to be no more hatred in his tone, like when he used to speak to her before. "By all means, do come in."

The change in attitude hadn't gone by neither Emi or Suzuno, and they both glanced at the tall demon in suspicion. This seemed to go completely by him.

"Thank you, sorry to intrude," Hana replied shyly as she removed her shoes and entered. The gazes of all three demons living there were directed at her, as well as Alas=Ramus', who had been playing near the closet.

"Oww... It iz the angew~~" she said unhappily, and Maou couldn't help but frown at her reaction.

"We spoke about this, Alas=Ramus, ne?" he said softly to the girl, but she still seemed displeased. Maou then proceeded to stare at her in a more serious expression, causing the girl to avert her eyes to the ground.

"Ah, it's okay if Alas=Ramus-chan doesn't like me..." Hana insisted, trying to brush off the small scene that was happening.

"Oh, aah... Not to be rude, but it's really more because we don't want Alas=Ramus to grow up to be an unkind person," Maou said, sheepishly rubbing his neck. "B-but of course we don't want her to hate you either."

"I see," Hana replied, seating herself to the table where the rest besides Urushihara and Ashiya were gathering.

"Kamazuki, now that you're here, could you help Urushihara make supper? I still need to go out and run some errands, so it'd be better if someone else did it," Ashiya asked, already picking up his keys as if it was already known that Suzuno would help.

"Whaaat? I don't wanna make food," Urushihara immediately whined, his attention leaving the computer for the second time since the group of girls arrived.

"I'll do that, no problem. You know I don't like to be idle for too long," Suzuno replied, completely ignoring any protests. Ashiya nodded happily.

"Good. I'll be back in an hour, maybe more. Emilia and Alas=Ramus-chan have probably left by then, so I will say my goodbyes now," he said.

"Awsiew, leaf?" the little girl asked with large eyes.

"Hai, but don't worry, you'll see me again this week. Your mother has promised to bring you over," the blond replied, smiling. "Now I'll be going. Goodbye, Maou-sama."

"Bye," Maou replied lazily. With that, Ashiya left the apartment. "You know, I don't mind Suzuno-chan or even Hana-chan being here, but Emi, I thought you didn't want to come here..." he said almost teasingly, glaring at Emi.

Of course Hana blushed over the familiar way of addressing her, but that seemed to go unnoticed by everyone.

"Oh, shut up, I just wanted to see Alas again," Emi replied tiredly, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I'll be leaving soon anyway."

While this conversation was happening, Suzuno had gotten up and now slammed shut the lid of Urushihara's computer.

"Wha— You should've at least _said something_ before you did that!" the boy exclaimed in frustration. However, Suzuno was once again ignoring his protests.

"Alciel has given you a task, and for once you could do it without complaining. Come on now," she said calmly, but with a weird firm tinge in her tone as well. It was like a threat that was never described in words, even though it was unclear what the threat would even be.

"..." Urushihara's response was a long silence, only interrupted by Alas=Ramus making some typical toddler noises. He then got to his feet, which surprisingly were not asleep, and walked over to the counter. "Fine then, let's do it."

"Good. Then, what you need to do first is..."

While Suzuno was giving directions to Urushihara, Hana was looking at this scene in slight surprise and confusion. It was so unusual to see that guy ever do anything useful, and that Suzuno was the one to make him do it was even stranger.

There was a feeling at the bottom of her stomach that she could not explain.

.

.

.

Ashiya was on his way back home. His expression was quite grim, and a plastic bag was hanging from his grip. On his way back, he had stopped by at a nearby store and bought some things their fridge was missing (which was arguably quite a lot of things, but he bought only what was essential.)

Before he could even leave the commercial center, he was greeted by an unexpected precense.

"Eh? Is that you, Suzuki-san?" he questioned when he recognized the back of Emi's coworker.

"Huh, Ashiya-san?" the voice of Rika responded as she spun around to face Ashiya. She blinked several times, each of them surprised to see one another on the different sides of the hallway. Eventually, Rika continued. "Oh, right, you live really close to here. I hadn't really thought of that," she said, jogging across the hallway to properly greet the man.

"Yeah, we do. I was passing by and bought some groceries, but why Suzuki-san would be so far from her home baffles me. Not to be rude, of course," Ashiya replied, an expression of surprise still somewhat present.

"Yeah, I was coming to see the new store that opened there." As she said this, Rika pointed toward a section of stores Ashiya had never visited. "There were good sales on makeup, so I came to make use of them." She eyed the bag in her hand that was full of said products, also bringing Ashiya's attention to it.

"Ah, I see," he replied, smiling. Ashiya, if someone, understood enjoying sales very well.

"But, eh, Ashiya-san... Even though it appears you came here for groceries, wouldn't there be a grocery store closer to your apartment building?" Rika wondered. Of course, this immediately returned the grim mood Ashiya had felt earlier.

"That's right... I wasn't originally here to grocery shop," he admitted a bit reluctantly, glancing at his grocery bag similarly to Rika. "If I'm completely honest, I was here for a job interview."

"Huh?! Really?" Needless to say, this surprised Rika. "After our discussion at Sentucky Fried Chicken that one time, though it was a while ago, I thought you were content with how things are now."

"Well, in a way I am. But since there are three people living in our apartment, it would be optimal if at least two of us had jobs and earned money. I never really stopped looking for work, and sometimes I do get a part-time position... Sadly this wasn't one of those times." Ashiya's shoulders slumped as he explained this.

"Oh, I get it... A MgRonald's employee doesn't make that sort of money, after all. No matter how hard working," Rika responded, grasping the situation better immediately.

"Well, it was nice to run into you. However, I believe I'm needed at our apartment by now. Supper should be done, if Urushihara hasn't been lazing around..." Ashiya went into slight rambling toward the end. "Oh, I shouldn't keep you any longer. Goodbye, Suzuki-san."

With this polite goodbye, he bowed slightly and headed toward the exit of the building. Before he could get too far, he was stopped by Rika's voice.

"Eh... Erm... Ashiya-san!" she exclaimed. When the man stopped and turned around, and their eyes met, Rika's face turned scarlet.

It was a less known fact that Rika was, erm, _interested_ in Ashiya. However, the image of a hard working, practical, compassionate, _not to mention_ good-looking man was the first image she had gotten of him. And because it was truly (for the most part) the current Ashiya, the image still held. What smart woman wouldn't be at least interested in that sort of a man?

"Yes? What is it?" Though Ashiya did not intend to sound rude, but was simply trying to inquire why Rika had gotten quiet all of a sudden, the latter immediately became distressed.

"Ah! Eh! I..." she stuttered nervously, unlike she usually spoke. The situation had clearly gotten her on her toes. "Sorry, I just..." She took a deep breath, calming herself. "I've been thinking... A little."

"Oh?" Ashiya still wasn't quite sure what she was going to say, and paid attention. The silence was comforting to Rika, who had just managed to collect her thoughts.

"We... Don't know each other all that well, Ashiya-san, but I've been meaning to ask... If you'd like to get a cup of coffee sometime." Rika was now mentally exclaiming at herself, surprised that she had the guts to say it to his face.

"Ah..." Ashiya's response was quit lacking. It clicked immediately what Rika was implying. This was an invitation to a _date_.

From time to time, a young woman had approached Ashiya and suggested something similar – it had become obvious to him that he was quite popular among the women in Japan. Because he was busy most of the time, he had kindly denied such requests.

But the women who usually asked him on dates were complete strangers that he wouldn't come into contact later in life. This was Rika, someone that he met from time to time anyway, and someone who would most likely understand if he couldn't meet all the time. Although the two didn't know each other that well, like she had mentioned, he knew that she was an intelligent woman. He didn't see a reason why he wouldn't intentionally spend time with that sort of a person.

Well, except for the fact that Rika and Emi were friends, but that would only make this more fun.

"I don't see why not," he replied, smiling. This didn't seem to be a big deal for him at all, and Rika couldn't speak from her surprise at first. Eventually she found her smile, not to mention words.

"That's great! Erm, I mean..." she stuttered a little again, overcome by the joy of his response. "If you're in a hurry, we can talk about the time later..."

"Yeah, that would be better. We can talk tomorrow. I'll be sure to call you with Maou-sama's cellphone."

Their conversation ended shortly, and Ashiya headed back to Sasazuka. Rika was left alone with her thoughts and feelings, and though she was a grown woman, she almost couldn't contain her excitement for the next day.

* * *

 **Ayy, an update!**

 **I actually had material to continue this chapter, but I thought I should save it for the next one and extend the material. Be prepared, the next chapter will be almost entirely Lucifer and Hana. Which is, of course, the selling point of this fic... Socially awkward meets socially awkward.**

 **Review m9s.**

 **Ah, also, after next chapter you'll have a better understanding where in the timeline (exactly) this story is...**


	11. Chapter 11 - Observations

Chapter 11 – Observations

Hana stretched her arms and back before falling onto her mattress. The springs bounched her for a few seconds before settling down, and once they did, she let out a tired sigh.

It was the evening, and she had gotten out of work about two hours ago. Since she arrived home, she needed put a last few things in order before she could collapse.

Her apartment was finally in order. Earlier she had only slept on a mattress on the floor, but now she had a queen sized bed to put it on. The bed took quite a lot of room from the small one room apartment, but she thought the investment was well worth it.

The apartment was western styled, just like she had told everyone. Being an older building, it had an interesting shape with the other half of it reminding a square, while the other half was more of an octagon.

The square half was the one where the apartment was entered, and also the one with the kitchen. The counters were all black with dark wood cabinets, and it had a small counter island. Around that island, three bar stools had been placed.

Though there was no space for a table – at least the way Hana had decorated the place – she had managed to make room for a flat screen TV that was on top of a modern looking book shelf.

Hana sat up on her bed. Though the day had been rough, she couldn't pass out just yet. She needed to eat so she wouldn't starve in her sleep. Oh, how she wouldn't have had the energy for it, but she couldn't help it.

She glanced out the large window that pointed into the street. Luckily, it was a quiet street where cars didn't pass all the time, so she could sleep her nights peacefully.

"This is the life, _eh_..." she muttered to herself as she got up from her bed and made her way into the kitchen. _Better eat before doing anything else_ , she thought as she opened the fridge and looked for something suitable.

At this time, the last thing she needed was unannounced visitors. But alas, the doorbell rang, and her eyes sprung to the direction of the door.

 _I wonder what's happened... I don't think I've invited anyone over today,_ she thought as she strode to the door, looking through the peep hole. Her eyes widened slightly when she recognized the person standing there.

She quickly unlocked the door and opened it halfway, greeting the person with a surprised expression.

"Eh, Urushihara-san?" she said as she studied his face. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Ah... That is..." His voice sounded a little down, and his face was a sickly pale. It sounded like he had the flu. "I'd rather be anywhere but our place right now."

That unclear response left Hana understandably baffled.

"What... But why? And... Even if that is the case, why are you _here_?" Urushihara grunted in displeasure before replying.

"Could you let me in so I can tell you?" he asked while running a hand through his hair in a troubled manner. Though Hana hesitated, eventually she stepped aside and let the other enter.

Urushihara was quiet at first, studying his surroundings with a neutral expression. Hana closed the door, turning her back to it and seeing what the other was doing a little warily. It was very unusual for him to leave the apartment alone, and why he came to _Hana's_ place raised even more questions.

"So... Are y-"

"How can you afford such a better place in the same area as Maou?"

Hana's quiet questioning was quickly interrupted by Urushihara's annoyed tone. She was caught off guard, and lost her words for a moment.

"Oh... Um... It could be that my pay is better... And besides, Maou-san has to provide for multiple people," she said, quickly shaking her head as she felt there were more urgent matters to be discussed. "But, Urushih—" She stopped herself as she realized there was no reason not to address him with his actual name. " _Lucifer_ , are you sick?"

Urushihara glanced at her over his shoulder.

"Not really... Well, it's because of that cat," he said, only baffling Hana more. She wrinkled her eyebrows as she studied the other's unchanging expression.

"A cat? What are you talking about?" she asked, following Urushihara into the kitchen, where he had seated himself on one of the bar stools. The ingredients for her supper were still spread on the counter.

"Yeah, Maou went and picked up a stray cat a day ago... As it turns out I'm allergic to its fur," Urushihara calmly explained as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah..." the thought of a demon being allergic to cats was slightly amusing to her. "But, uh, you can't possibly keep the stray cat in the apartment, can you?"

"Luckily no, but as of now they haven't found it a home..." Urushihara said in an unhappy tone. "That means I'm stuck in the same space with it." It quickly clicked in her head why this strange occurence was happening.

"So... You came to my apartment, because you're allergic? Geez..." she sighed. "Couldn't you have gone to Kamazuki-san's place? It's way too weird having you over. Besides, I'm really tired. Go back home."

"I can't, the fur is in Suzuno's apartment as well, since she keeps visiting... The only place that's not yet infected is this one," he explained, still quite calmly, as if there was nothing wrong with him being there.

 _D... Do you have any idea how inappropriate this is?_ was what Hana wanted to say, but couldn't get it out of her mouth. Besides, she guessed that even if she did say that, it wouldn't affect Urushihara at all.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she very quickly gave up. After all, she was too tired to resist.

"Fine, you can stay... But just for a little bit, alright?" she spoke irritatedly, then added in a mutter: "You're causing me trouble..."

"Sweet," was Urushihara's simple and annoying response. And as soon as he said that, he reached into his pocket and took out a gaming console.

 _At least he won't bother me too much,_ she thought as she turned to her unfinished meal.

"Oh, could you make me food too? I haven't eaten in hours." Of course, she had thought that too soon, since this was the next thing Urushihara said.

* * *

After a while, Hana had managed to finish cooking the Miso Soup that she had intended to prepare. Because of Urushihara's sudden appearance though, she had to make it for two people, which wasn't an amount she was used to. Of course, it showed in the taste, and Urushihara didn't hold back in announcing it.

"This tastes bland," he commented uncaringly, causing Hana's eyebrow to twitch in annoyance.

"You're complaining about free food? I didn't need to make it for you as well," Hana instantly retorted, tired enough to answer in a bold manner.

"Well I can't help it if it tastes that way, can I? Ugh, at least I don't have to starve, I guess..." Urushihara half muttered with his mouth full. The female did not reply as she focused on eating, herself. "Really, if you asked Ashiya to teach you how to spice bigger portions, you could get there..."

"Seriously, stop! I know I'm a very average cook, I get it. You don't need to point it out," she replied in annoyance as the other did not stop with his comments. Perhaps startled by the outburst, Urushihara shut up for the next few minutes.

Urushihara, while holding his tongue from anymore rude comments, glanced up at Hana's face. She looked tired with faint bags under her eyes, slightly paled as well. It truly seemed that he was bothering her when she needed to rest. But, there was no way he would go back into that infected household until he had to.

"So... What channels does your TV have?" Urushihara asked. Though he did not care much for TV, and Castle Overlord didn't have one, in this sort of situation he wouldn't mind watching it.

"Oh... Uh. The basic ones. I just use it as background noise most of the time," Hana told in a much more calmed tone from earlier.

It was a strange situation, truly.

The famous fallen angel was chatting up a "pure" one, as humans, in a human inhabited world. Though their age difference was about as great as Maou's and Urushihara's, with Urushihara obviously being the older one, in this world it felt reversed. Hana was the one who lived in her own apartment, and acted like an adult, while Urushihara lived with someone else's money.

However, when they simply talked like this, it seemed no such gaps between them existed.

"Do you wanna turn it on?" she asked casually, already searching for the remote with her eyes.

"Yeah. It feels too boring when it's quiet," Urushihara said while Hana had already stood up and went to turn on the TV. She went through the channels for a bit, until stopping on some random reality show, and leaving it running on the background.

"I've seen a few episodes of this show... It's weird, but entertaining," Hana commented as she continued to eat.

"I hope you know that these kinds of shows are always staged," Urushihara said in a slightly judging tone. "Those situations rarely happen for real."

"Geez, of course I know that. Don't forget that I've been in Japan for a few years already," Hana reminded.

Though they could chat this casually, neither of them failed to notice how weird that was. They really weren't close at all, the last time they spoke alone was at the baseball match. Before that, it was the cafe where they were on a " _date_ " several weeks ago. And at that time, they didn't even know about each others' secret identities.

"Yeah, but a lot of people have spent their whole lives in not only in Japan, but Earth, and they still don't understand a simple thing like this," Urushihara replied snidely. "I wouldn't be surprised if Maou and Ashiya thought this."

"Hah... You'd think Maou-san, as the King of Demons, would understand a simple concept like that. I don't think you're giving him enough credit," Hana laughed. However, because of Urushihara's silence and grim expression, her laughter soon died. _He was completely serious, wasn't he..._

The more they spoke, they realized that they actually had things in common. That must've been it, since sometimes the conversations could even be enjoyable. They both could speak about games and and other things that they knew of, understanding each other perfectly. And as it seemed, also casual topics like these were things that they had similar thoughts on. A simple way to put it was, they _clicked._

"I... Uh, I'm sorry," Hana quickly commented, catching Urushihara off guard.

"H—hah? For what?"

"I probably shouldn't have snapped at you. You can't help it if you're allergic, right, but then again... You really could've gone elsewhere..." she said in a flustered manner, upon realizing she didn't mind his company. The last part was more of a mutter.

"...It's not a big deal," Urushihara replied reluctantly. He thought, in his mind, that since she apologized for such a minor thing (for an unknown reason), he should've said he's sorry about intruding... But he really couldn't even think about such a thing properly, much less say it out loud.

Because of this strange thing that Hana had said, an awkward silence consumed the conversation.

"A...Anyway, I don't really watch these kinds of shows often. I much rather like actual fantasy series'," she said partially to disrupt the silence, a blush rising to her cheeks. Already feeling regret upon saying what was at the top of her mind, she continued: "What kinds of movies do you watch, online, obviously?"

"Um..." Urushihara regained his composure. "Whatever looks interesting, I guess."

Though the reply was a bit unsatisfying, Hana brushed it off and changed the topic.

"So, do you think Maou-san would let me see the cat?" she asked, finishing her Miso Soup and putting her bowl away.

"What? But if you go over there, the cat fur will be over here as well..." Urushihara immediately whined.

"So that's a yes? Hmm... I think cats are really cute," Hana declared happily. "But I think I'm a bit too shy to actually go there just to see it... Ah, but if they don't mind..."

"B—but... The fur..." Urushihara still resisted the idea. "Do you want me to get seriously sick?!"

"Why don't you just ask someone to buy you allergy medication... It's not _that_ difficult," she said, finally addressing the point that caused the NEET most worry.

"I've asked already! But there's no guarantee what Ashiya will bring from the store. He thinks I already waste enough of Maou's money," he explained in a frustrated manner. "And it's not like you or Bell or Emilia would buy me such things, not that I would ask any of you..."

Hana didn't reply to this, because they really had only known each other for a little while, and she wouldn't use her money on something like allergy medication for him. However, she thought it would be rude to say it out loud.

As she noticed Urushihara was also done eating, she picked up his bowl and put it in the sink as well.

"It's getting late, you should go home anyway... I need to get up early for work, as much as I hate it."

"...But the cat..."

"You'll survive. Seriously, you call yourself a demon?" Since Urushihara replied in such an unhappy tone, Hana decided to tease him for it. What gave away that she wasn't entirely serious was the small smile on her lips.

Urushihara averted his gaze, followed by a short silence. It was unusual that this sort of a remark wasn't hateful, but rather playful.

"If you hate your job so much, you could always quit," he said this all of a sudden.

"...Not everyone can just quit their jobs and become a NEET like you. Nobody would pay my bills for me or make sure I have enough money for food. It's not like I completely hate my job, either, I just dislike doing work. Like many people do," Hana ranted as she chased Urushihara to the door. "But if I could go the rest of my life without doing actual work, I probably would."

"Well, at least you're normal... Everyone else actually seems to like working," Urushihara sighed. "Anyway, thanks for the food," he said blandly as he stepped out the door.

"You're welcome," Hana replied in a similar tone as she closed the door after him. _What... Exactly just happened?_

And that was a question she would ponder, _well_ , maybe later. Right now she needed sleep.

.

.

.

Urushihara had returned home, and quickly closed himself inside the closet. Some fur had made it inside, and he sneezed a few times before he could even manage to get his laptop open.

 _That thing will be the death of me..._ he thought as he opened up a random website, looking for some entertainment from the internet.

He wasn't completely focusing on what he was reading, though. No. His thoughts were still somewhere else – on _someone_ else. And that someone was Hana. _Eh, what was her real name again? Lilith?_

Throughout the few times that they had actually spoken, Urushihara had come to multiple conclusions about this girl. The first, though most meaningless one, was that she was quite attractive.

Not just the way she looked, but she had a certain kind of charm to her. She wasn't _too_ modest, like Suzuno, at least her clothing choices indicated that she wasn't. However, she had an element to her that many people found attractive – _her shyness_.

It didn't show as much when she spoke to someone that she knew, even a little bit, but upon first meeting her it was clear that she felt awkward talking to strangers. And since she was shy, that also created another attractive feature: Mysteriousness. It was a feature which both Urushihara and her shared.

Urushihara didn't really know anything about her, besides the fact that she was an angel. He knew that she had conflicted feelings about Heaven, which was something he could relate to. She liked games and other entertainment, and disliked working. Just going by this, they were really similar people.

 _But what does that mean, exactly?_ Was a thought that he couldn't shake. Urushihara had realized that, he had been making multiple observations about her, and that those observations sometimes crossed his mind unexpectedly. Though he should be thinking about things that were more important, he couldn't simply ignore this.

It was rare for him to come across a like-minded person, and now that he had, he wasn't sure how to approach the situation. Did he want to be friends? Enemies? Just ignore it and continue living as he had?

He couldn't decide. Not yet. But in the meanwhile, he had his computer as a distraction.

* * *

 **I had _once again_ too many things for one chapter, so I decided to split it further. Next chapter will also be about this situation. Also, sorry if the describing of the apartment was boring.**

 **Please drop a review!**


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